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Jul 29, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; FC Barcelona forward Ferran Torres (11) reacts after scoring a goal during the second half against Real Madrid at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Barcelona Keeps Second Place In La Liga

Originally posted on Stadium Rant | By Stefania Zajdel | Last updated Nov 2, 2025 9:13 PM ET

After a painful loss against Real Madrid, FC Barcelona was set to face Elche CF, La Liga’s newcomer. Already losing quite a few points to their championship rivals, Blaugrana needed to play a game good enough to give them the coveted three points. Was that what they delivered in front of their home crowd?

Solid Start

Despite playing with a theoretically much stronger opponent, Elche was desperate to show that they aren’t a team to be trifled with. They started the game by pressing Barcelona and making sure that most of the first moments were spent on their half of the field.

Still, it was Barcelona who opened the score. In just the ninth minute, Lamine Yamal, a man eager to redeem himself after recent poor performances, shot past Inaki Peña. Soon after, Ferran Torres added another goal to Blaugrana’s tally. To the joy of all Culers, 2:0 appeared on the screens hanging around the stadium.

Having found themselves in a steady lead, Barcelona decreased the intensity of their play. They managed to get away with it for most of the first half, but the decision came back to bite them only a few minutes before the break. Elche’s Rafa Mir split from the other players and ran straight to Wojciech Szczęsny’s net. He managed to score the coveted contact goal, reminding his team that they hadn’t lost quite yet.

Rashford In Action

Marcus Rashford came into the second half hungry. From its very first moments, he was pressing Barcelona’s opponents, never too far away from a chance at a goal. After a pass from Fermín López, he did manage to put the ball in the net. Unfortunately, the goal wasn’t counted due to an offside.

Both players involved in the action got their redemption in the 60th minute. It was then that they repeated their previous move, with López passing to his English teammate. Once again, the ball ended up in Peña’s net, but this time, everything was done according to the rules.

Jul 29, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; FC Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez Martin (29) celebrates with FC Barcelona forward Ansu Fati (10) after scoring a goal during the second half against Real Madrid at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Rashford’s goal was the last one the viewers saw before the game ended. Yamal had a chance to make it a 4:1, but wasted it with a disappointing shot. Despite both teams trying to move the score, it remained the same until the last minute.

End Of My Barcelona Rant

Barcelona managed to play a solid game. They weren’t in any real danger throughout the 90 minutes, safely sailing towards the three points. Thanks to the win, they returned to second place in the La Liga standings, still five points behind Real in first.

This article first appeared on Stadium Rant and was syndicated with permission.

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