Elche 0-4 Barcelona: Fati's wonder goal puts Barca 15 points clear in title race

Lewy hits brace & Fati strikes to seal away win for Barca. Here is the match report.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

20' GOAL! Elche 0-1 Barcelona (Lewandowski)

42' Lewandowski's header over the bar

45' Kounde's shot stopped

56' GOAL! Elche 0-2 Barcelona (Fati)

62' Alba's long shot over the bar

66' GOAL! Elche 0-3 Barcelona (Lewandowski)

70' GOAL! Elche 0-4 Barcelona (Ferran Torres)

74' Yellow Card! Ronald Araújo booked

85' Fidel hits the bar

La Blaugrana have edged another step closer to winning a first league title since 2019 with an expanding lead over rivals Real Madrid.

Xavi’s side were far from their flowing best at the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero, but the visitors took their chances, on a crucial night for Ansu Fati.

Robert Lewandowski’s close range finish edged Barcelona in front before the break against their relegation battling hosts.

Barcelona looked to get the job done swiftly after the restart, with Fati scoring his first league goal since October, via a brilliant superb solo goal.

The Spanish international collected a loose ball inside his own half and raced clear of the retreating Elche defence, before firing home a composed finish, before the hour mark.

Lewandowski grabbed his second of the night in the closing stages, as the Polish veteran brought his league tally up to 17 goals in 2022/23, and Ferran Torres tucked home a late fourth.

Up next for Barcelona is their crucial Copa del Rey semi final at home to Los Blancos in midweek with Elche’s precarious survival battle taking them to Osasuna next weekend.

Line-ups

Elche XI: Édgar Badía, Fidel, Bigas, Helibelton Palacios, Clerc, Pere Milla, Mascarell, Gumbau, Tete Morente, José Ángel Carmona, Lautaro Blanco

Subs: Magallan, Gonzalo Verdú, Axel Werner, D.González, Josan, Ponce, Raúl Guti, P.Lirola, Álex Collado, Nicolás Fernández Mercau, John Donald

Barcelona XI: Lewandowski, Alba, Ter Stegen, Roberto, Alonso, Ferran Torres, Kounde, Ronald Araújo, Eric Garcia, Fati, Gavi

Subs: Busquets, Kessie, Pena, Arnau Tenas, Álex Baldé, Marc Casadó, Aleix Garrido, Pablo Torre, Ángel Alarcón, Estanis Pedrola