Barça gets a weight off their shoulders thanks to Elche

BarcelonaIt's necessary to be grateful and appreciate life's gifts. Barça needed to start thinking about the future and put the memory of a painful October behind them, and they did so in part thanks to an Elche side that, in their quest to be a competitive and ambitious team, opened their home doors wide. And Lamine Yamal and company took full advantage, of course. They needed to bring back the joy at home and secure three points in a special match for Ferran Torres, who, a year after the devastating floods, wanted to remember his fans with a shirt he had prepared. The Valencian player knew the goal would come. And it did.

If a year ago Flick admitted that November had been a "shitty month," this year the difficult month was October. The month of defeats against PSG, Sevilla, and Real Madrid. It was time to lift their heads and not lose sight of Xabi Alonso's disciples, and to that end, Flick was getting players back, like Lewandowski, who was ready on the bench. But they didn't have to rely on the Pole because the team finished the job in the opening minutes, in which, without playing like angels, they showed a fighting spirit. In five minutes, they had Elche reeling by forcing their errors in possession. First, it was Lamine Yamal, in the first nine minutes of the game, who beat Iñaki Peña. Then it was Ferran Torres, in a similar play. Eder Sarabia's team is a very respectable team, one that wants to compete at the highest level. And they accept that the path to improvement involves taking blows like the two setbacks they suffered against Barça in just a few minutes.

For a few minutes, it seemed like the Barça of the past, the one that could win matches without breaking a sweat and finish the job with the audacity of youngsters like Lamine Yamal or Fermín – considered one of the pillars of this team – who keeps racking up points. The Andalusian scores, assists, tackles hard, works tirelessly, and runs up and down the pitch with the same spirit as Marc Casadó, whose eyes light up every time he gets to start.

Flick's team, with the wind at their backs, could have scored more goals before halftime, but they were thwarted by the interventions of a very effective Iñaki Peña. Besides, there's no way to lock down the goal completely. Before the break, Rafa Mir conjured up a fine goal, taking advantage of the fact that the defense isn't yet functioning like clockwork. Throughout the match, Flick constantly spoke to his defenders, trying to see if they could understand each other with a single glance and coordinate to once again excel at the offside trap. In fact, the one who kept raising his voice was Eric Garcia, the man who aspires to be Iñigo Martínez's successor, both on and off the pitch.

In the second half, Elche had chances to equalize, silencing Montjuïc. This Barça team is still struggling, licking its wounds from recent days and trying to regain confidence in its play. And Sarabia's team, brimming with character, took advantage of the opportunity to inject some excitement into a match that seemed decided just minutes before. Flick wasn't happy, but Rashford, after a well-worked team move, showed that the team can survive Pedri's absence. In fact, life is always better with the Canary Islander, but you have to know how to stay strong when you take a hit. A good sign, this Barça performance in which Lamine Yamal took a step forward, despite not yet being at his best. In fact, the genius from Rocafonda celebrated his goal by kissing the badge with a gesture of rage. He needed it, after so many days in which he's been talked about a lot, but not for his brilliance on the pitch. He also needed to win in general against a Barça side that had lost credibility in recent days and whose doubts had grown. Nothing better than three points to dispel those doubts and believe that everything can be alright.

A match to recover optimism, lick their wounds, and lift their heads, recovering players like Lewandowski and Dani Olmo, players who came on in a second half that will make anyone who wants to be optimistic laugh. And those who want to see the glass half empty will complain about the chances Rafa Mir had and the phases of the match in which Elche dominated possession. Flick is the first to know.