Yamal Shines as Barcelona Secures Victory Over Elche

Barcelona’s coach Hansi Flick commended Lamine Yamal after the teenager’s impressive performance in the team’s 3-1 LaLiga victory over Elche on Saturday. Yamal, at 18 years of age, scored his fourth goal in five matches, helping Barça maintain a four-point lead over Real Madrid ahead of their clash with Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.

With this latest goal, Yamal has now equaled his league tally from last season with nine goals and created eight chances during the match, including one that led to Marcus Rashford scoring the third goal for Barcelona. In a press conference, Flick noted, “It’s important for the team and for the club. When he plays at a high level, it’s beneficial for everyone. He is young enough to improve and reach another level, and I believe that will happen.”

Barcelona took the lead in the sixth minute when Yamal skillfully rounded Elche’s goalkeeper, Iñaki Peña, who is on loan from the Catalan side. However, Álvaro Rodríguez equalized for the home team in the 30th minute. Ferran Torres then restored Barcelona’s lead before halftime with his 12th goal of the season, and Rashford capped off the victory in the 72nd minute, bringing his total to ten goals across all competitions since joining from Manchester United last summer.

Despite the win, it was notable that the league leaders took considerable time to secure the match, accumulating an expected goals (xG) statistic of 6.52, surpassing the previous highest xG of 5.09 during Flick’s tenure against Mallorca in 2024. Torres was particularly guilty of missed opportunities, with an xG of 3.0, hitting the crossbar twice, while both Fermín López and Rashford also squandered chances, and Olmo was denied by the woodwork.

When questioned about his team’s finishing, Flick humorously remarked, “That’s a difficult question. It was essential for us to secure three points today, and we played a fantastic game except in the final moments in front of the goal. The positive aspect is that we started strong and created many opportunities, but we failed to convert them, which is disappointing.”

Flick also alleviated concerns regarding Raphinha and Jules Koundé, who were substituted as a precaution rather than due to injury. Midfielder Frenkie de Jong added that Barcelona still has significant room for improvement as they compete in LaLiga, Copa del Rey, and the Champions League, particularly in the absence of Pedri. He commented, “I still don’t think we’ve reached our best form, but we are playing well as a unit. We generated numerous chances tonight, which is positive; typically, we have players who finish well. Today was just an off day in that regard, but it’s three more points, which is what matters. If we continue to create chances, we will win games.”