Elche vs Barcelona is held less than 72 hours subsequent to the European match that Barcelona played. This is a challenging La Liga match due to its timing. Nevertheless, there is not much that the Catalans can be excused. Their response to the league must be powerful.
Barcelo comes to the meeting of midweek. Their victory in the UEFA champions league over FC Copenhagen ensured that they made it to the top eight. This outcome minimized congestion of future fixtures. Nonetheless, there is still a limitation of rest. This team has to change the topic fast.
La Liga form has been uneven. The loss of Barcelona to Real Sociedad earlier this month made the title race to be tight. Real Madrid narrowed in to only one point. It was narrowly beaten by Real Oviedo. But there was no authority in the performance. That finding brought up new issues.
This is the reason why Elche vs Barcelona is significant. The visitors must win. But more to the point they have to win well. Elche are not pushovers. They have already scored points on Real Madrid this season. It is further complicated by playing at the Martinez Valero stadium.
The middle ground will be decisive. Barcelo had trouble with central areas against Copenhagen. Pedri and Frenkie de Jong were both unavailable. Control was missing early on. The tempo looked rushed. Structure felt loose.
The flow was altered by the second-half introduction by Marc Bernal. Barcelona looked calmer. Possession was intentional. This change brought to the fore the necessity of a natural controller.
Frenkie de Jong will be available in this game. He was not injured but suspended. His return is a major boost. De Jong brings rhythm. He dictates tempo. His defense and attack are also well interlinked.
