Rashford Firepower Propels Barcelona
Four Points Clear in Elche Rout

Barcelona, 1 Feb 2026 (ONA) — Marcus
Rashford continued his fine goalscoring form off the bench to help Barcelona
secure a commanding 3-1 away victory over Elche, extending their lead at the
summit of the Spanish La Liga to four points.

The reigning champions, now unbeaten
in 16 matches across all competitions with 15 wins, asserted their dominance
early. Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal opened the scoring in the sixth minute,
expertly rounding goalkeeper Iñaki Peña after a precise through ball from Dani
Olmo.

Elche, without a win against
Barcelona since 1974, provided a brief scare when Álvaro Rodriguez capitalized
on a high defensive line to finish calmly after 29 minutes. However, Hansi
Flick’s side swiftly re-established control. Ferran Torres restored the lead
just before halftime, emphatically firing Frenkie de Jong’s cut-back into the
roof of the net.

The introduction of Manchester
United loanee Marcus Rashford at the interval proved decisive. The England
forward added a third goal with a simple finish from Yamal’s low cross, marking
his 10th goal of the season and his second in consecutive appearances following
a midweek strike in the UEFA Champions League.

Barcelona’s superiority was
reflected in a barrage of chances throughout the contest. Olmo struck the post
early on, while Torres was denied twice by the woodwork in quick succession and
later saw a goalbound effort cleared off the line by defender Víctor Chust just
before the interval.

The victory solidifies Barcelona’s
position at the top and shifts the focus to the Santiago Bernabéu. The result
heaps pressure on second-placed Real Madrid, who can reduce the gap to a single
point with a win in their game in hand against Rayo Vallecano later today.

— Ends/Khalid