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#3 Riqui Puig makes a difference off the bench
Riqui Puig is one of the highest-rated La Masia prospects at Barcelona but has seen his playing time severely limited under Ronald Koeman.
Nevertheless, the 21-year-old insists he has a future at his boyhood club and has vowed to make the most of the opportunities that come his way.
Against Elche, Puig was summoned from the bench, and with three minutes to go, he scored with virtually his first touch of the game.
Despite standing at just 1.69 m, the midfielder somehow managed to get his head to a cross by De Jong to put Barcelona two goals to the good on the night.
It was his first Barcelona goal, and the joy on his face was palpable.
However, it remains to be seen if that would translate into more playing time under Koeman.
#2 Edgar Badia denies Barcelona a more resounding win
Edgar Badia has boosted his reputation with a series of good displays in goal, and he was stellar against Barcelona too.
The 28-year-old came into the game with the most saves by a goalkeeper in the La Liga this season (56). Badia was able to repel almost everything Barcelona threw at him.
He made six saves in the game, with the pick of the bunch coming when he dived low to his right to keep out a rasping drive by Ousmane Dembele. Despite ending on the losing side, Badia can hold his head high after a stellar performance between the sticks.
#1 Barcelona have now won two consecutive games without Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi's rash challenge late in injury time against Athletic Bilbao saw him receive the first red card of his Barcelona career.
Slapped with a two-game ban, the Barcelona captain had to sit out the games against Cornella and Elche. However, the Blaugrana won both games despite the absence of their talisman and captain.
After served out his ban, Lionel Messi will now be available for Barcelona's upcoming trip to Rayo Vallecano in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday as well as the visit of Athletic Bilbao in the La Liga next weekend.
