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Barcelona beat Elche 2-1 to grab all three points at the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero.
In a well contested first half, Elche broke the deadlock on the cusp of half-time. Fidel Chaves scored a goal in the 44th minute of the game following an error from Pedri. The Barcelona prodigy gifted the ball to Chaves who then made no mistake by putting the ball into the back of the net.
Barcelona turned up the heat in the second half. Ferran Torres scored the equalizing goal in the 60th minute as he slotted one in from close range following some good work by Jordi Alba.
Following the equalizer, both teams went on search of the winner. But it was Barcelona who finally prevailed. The visitors, following a VAR consultation, were awarded a penalty in the 84th minute of the game for a handball by Antonio Barragan. Memphis Depay scored the winning penalty to bag all three points for his side.
On that note, here's a look at five talking points from the game:
#5 Barcelona move into third position in La Liga
With this narrow win over Elche, Barcelona now move into third position ahead of the likes of Atletico Madrid and Real Betis. The Blaugrana now have 48 points after having played 26 games. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid have 48 points as well, but they have played 27 games.
Barcelona trail league leaders Real Madrid by 15 points and second-placed Sevilla by seven points. The Blaugrana have come a long way following their awful start to the season and will be hoping to continue this momentum for the games to come.
#4. The right-back situation
Although Dani Alves has been a revelation since returning to the Camp Nou, the tussle between him and Sergino Dest is here to stay. The Brazilian put in a massive shift at the back for the Catalans. Alves created two chances, won four duels, completed 91% percent of his passes and won two tackles throughout the game.
Alves was stellar moving forward but struggled to keep pace with Elche's attackers. His positioning and inability to track back gave the hosts some free space to exploit. It was evident in the final minutes of the game that the Brazilian did not have the legs to go on further. Xavi replaced Alves with Dest in the 85th minute of the game to protect the lead. A bit more rotation between the two could help Barcelona maintain their balance.
#3 Ferran Torres needs to work on his finishing
Ferran Torres made a massive impact for Barcelona following his introduction. The Spaniard replaced Gavi and changed the course of the game completely. With him on the pitch, Barcelona looked more convincing when advancing higher up the pitch. He brought in more fluidity.
Torres even scored an equalizer for Barcelona in the 60th minute of the game. But one thing that has everyone concerned is his finishing. The 22-year-old missed three big chances in 45 minutes. The fans will be hoping that he can turn this around and maximize his potential.
#2 Ousmane Dembele's situation at Barcelona
Ousmane Dembele massively fell out of favor with the fans, the board and the coaching staff following his contract renewal fiasco. Xavi insisted, however, that he will not exile the Frenchman and keep using his services provided he is fit to play.
Since the end of the winter transfer window, Dembele has featured for Barcelona six times in all competitions and has managed to grab three assists and one goal to his name. Additionally, the arrival of his former Borussia Dortmund team-mate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has instilled new confidence within him. He is showing glimpses of his former self and Barcelona could be tempted to revive those contract extension talks.
#1 Sergio Busquets shines for Barcelona
Sergio Busquets had a solid game against Elche. The veteran once again showed why he is irreplaceable. Busquets won five ground duels, won two ariel duels, made 11 recoveries, created two chances, won two tackles, intercepted the ball thrice and made three blocks throughout the game.
Busquets stepped up for the team when Pedri and Frenkie de Jong dropped stinkers in the center of the park. He orchestrated play for the visitors and controlled the tempo of the game. The Spaniard has hit back at his critics with a solid performance and Xavi will be hoping that he continues performing in the same vein.
