Lewandowski at the Double as Barça Cruise Past Elche
Camp Nou, Barcelona – In a commanding performance, Barcelona beat Elche 3-1 to send a clear message in the La Liga title race. The victory, orchestrated by a brilliant Robert Lewandowski, provisionally moves them to the top of the table, placing the pressure squarely back on arch-rivals Real Madrid ahead of their derby clash.
Stung by their midweek Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich, Xavi Hernández’s side showed no signs of a hangover. They came out with intent against a struggling Elche, who found themselves in deep trouble early on.
Early Red Card Sets the Tone
From the opening whistle, it was a one-sided affair. Barcelona swarmed the bottom-placed visitors, and the game’s complexion changed entirely after just 14 minutes. Elche captain Gonzalo Verdú was shown a straight red card for hauling down a goal-bound Robert Lewandowski, leaving his side with a mountain to climb for the remaining 76 minutes.
From there, the floodgates were destined to open. It took until the 34th minute, but the breakthrough inevitably came. A sweeping move saw young full-back Alejandro Balde deliver a perfect low cross for Lewandowski to tap home with the poacher’s instinct that has already made him a Camp Nou hero.
Just before halftime, Memphis Depay, given a rare start, produced a moment of magic. In the 41st minute, he received the ball with his back to goal, executed a stunning pirouette to leave his marker for dead, and blasted the ball into the roof of thenet to double the lead.
Result Secured as Title Pressure Mounts on Real Madrid
Any faint hopes of an Elche comeback were extinguished just three minutes into the second half. The man of the moment, Lewandowski, was at it again. A deflected cross fell kindly into his path, and he made no mistake, clinically slotting the ball home to make it 3-0 and put the game to bed. The Polish striker’s remarkable start continues, with 11 goals in his first 8 appearances for the club.
The result is more than just three points. After a summer of high-profile signings, Xavi’s project is bearing fruit. The win demonstrates that Barcelona are serious contenders and are poised to stay in touch with La Liga leaders Real Madrid throughout the season.
The ball is now firmly in Real Madrid’s court. Los Blancos face a fiery test in the Madrid derby, knowing that anything less than a win will see them cede top spot to their greatest rivals. As the teams head into the international break, the La Liga title race is shaping up to be a classic two-horse race.
