Elche 0-Barcelona 2 | Riqui seals a forced triumph

Without brilliance, but with trade, Barça carried out their visit to the Elche field by winning by 0-2 a game that seated Barça in the Champions zone after adding their fifth consecutive victory away from home, something that had not happened for three years. The goals of De Jong and Riqui Puig, who took advantage of the four minutes that Koeman gave him, are an injection of confidence for a team that was just out of self-love after the Super Cup.

Aware that the Blaugrana team was not physically fit for many boasting, Koeman decided not to risk Dest and give Lenglet rest, so Mingueza remained in a starting team in which Umtiti lined up.

As was also to be expected, it was difficult for the game to catch the rhythm, with an Elche very aware of defending the frame of Edgar Badia and a Barça that had not just entered the game, that threatened to become a ball and that there was no one who could to digest.

Another of the dangers was that the Blaugrana team, who, given the difference in quality with the rival, saw the match within reach, let the minutes pass, so that Elche could grow in their faith.

It was difficult for Barça to find a way to create danger in the local goal. First he tried it based on set pieces, where Araújo and Griezmann connected some too innocent shots, which Badia caught easily. Then he opted for shots from afar, but Busquets' was tame at the hands of the Elche goalkeeper and Alba and Pedri's were deflected. Another option was to use the Dembélé card, which for a moment became the leader of the Blaugrana attack and interpreted an “I against the world” that did not work either.

The award was awarded in one of the few fast circulations of Barça. Pedri enabled Braithwaite into space as a winger, who centered the area looking for Griezmann's shot, Diego González in his attempt to avoid the shot, deflected the ball towards his goal, surpassing his own goalkeeper and before the ball completely crossed the goal line, De Jong angrily riveted it to the net.

Barça had achieved the most difficult thing twice: they had gone ahead on the scoreboard and in the consequent and usual confusion after scoring, Ter Stegen blocked a shot from Josean after a slip from Umtiti. The first skid of the afternoon was overcome just before reaching the break.

As soon as the second half began, the second slip came, much more serious than the first when Mingueza lost the ball to Rigoni, who stood up to Ter Stegen, who excelled to avoid the equalizer.

That play opened the game and Elche began to increase the speed of the game against a Barça that as the minutes passed, it became more uphill for a Barça that had already begun to weigh the three consecutive extensions.

Koeman's team managed to control the game and take it to a scenario where not much was happening, but the score was still of minimal advantage and as the end approached, the possibility that any accident would prove fatal increased exponentially. If Barça did not achieve the second, the game was on the way to ending the Catalans asking for the time. To increase the tension and seek the epic, Almirón took Nino to the field.

But the one who was decisive in the final minutes was Riqui Puig, who entered the field with three minutes to go and managed to close the match with a header after finishing off an excellent play by De Jong. Barça continues with its tour away from the Camp Nou, refusing to let go. Adding points and looking for the regularity that has been lacking. The brilliance will come.