Twitter explodes as Lewandowski brace guides Barcelona to 3-0 win over 10-man Elche

Robert Lewandowski put 10-man Elche to the sword as Barcelona ran out comfortable winners over their visitors at the Camp Nou on September 17.

The Blaugrana controlled the proceedings throughout and a strong first half set the tone for the rest of the match.

The first half did not get off to a fine start for Elche, with Gonzalo Verdu getting sent off after just 14 minutes and leaving his side in the lurch. The defender took down Lewandowski in a clear goal-scoring position and was duly sent off, which did not help Elche's fortunes.

Young left-back Alex Balde guided the Catalans to score the first goal of the clash when he found Lewandowski in the 34th minute. The Polish marksman found the back of the net from within the six-yard box after Memphis Depay failed to get the ball first.

Just seven minutes after their first goal, Balde provided another assist for Blaugrana, finding Memphis Depay. The Dutchman was quick to turn and beat his marker. He then lashed a high-powered shot that beat the Elche keeper to put Barcelona 2-0 up in the 41st minute.

Pedri had a goal chalked off in the 44th minute before Elche boss Francisco Rodriguez received a red card on the touchline. The Catalans went into the break comfortably ahead and returned firing in the second half through Lewandowski.

Another Robert Lewandowski goal put Barcelona ahead for a comfortable finish at Camp Nou

Lewandowski found the back of the net in the 48th minute and took his tally for the game to two with his eighth strike of the season so far. A loose ball from an Ousamane Dembele cross found Memphis Depay. The Dutchman got the pass through for the Polish marksman to finish into the far post with ease.

Barcelona now sit at the top of the La Liga table, at least until eternal rivals and reigning champions Real Madrid visit Atletico Madrid tomorrow. The Blaugranes will be hoping that the Madridistas are held back by the Rojiblancos. This could see Barca enter the international break at La Liga zenith.

Here is how Twitter reacted to an impressive Barcelona victory, guided by Lewandowski:

About the author

Nnanna is a European and international football journalist who has been covering news and transfer rumors at Sportskeeda for around 5 years. A keen interest in reading and football since an early age, watching games at local stadiums with family paved the way for him to take up the sport professionally.

Nnanna’s favorite club is English team Bolton Wanderers because he witnessed Nigeria legend Jay-Jay Okocha's play for them between 2002 and 2006. His favorite footballer is Ronaldinho due to the Brazilian's love for the sport and admires Pep Guardiola for redefining football tactics. As a former literature student, Nnanna reckons that the best way of connecting with the readers is to add a bit of empathy in his writing, and relies on trusted websites like Transfermarkt and WhoScored for his articles.

Lionel Messi lifting the World Cup trophy in 2022 is Nnanna’s favorite FIFA World Cup moment, and also follows Major League Soccer due to the diminutive Argentine. He strongly believes that Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland could be the next two superstars in the same light as legendary pair Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

When not writing, he likes to play Football Manager and other simulation games.

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