00:00Well, greetings one and all from Monjuic, where Barcelona welcomes the arrival of Elche today,
00:06but perhaps to a greater degree, they'll welcome the arrival of the month of November,
00:10and with it, a chance to turn a new page and to get some of the events of the past month
00:15that have left them staring up at a significant gap at Real Madrid, a gap they will attempt to close.
00:22You know, clearly, there's still going to be some situations, you know, goalkeeping-wise, when players get fit,
00:31but this is what I'm worried for Elche, if they want to have possession high, that they open up spaces in behind.
00:37And here's Lamine Ymao trying to exploit that first look at space.
00:41He's done really well to cut back, and it was Frankie de Jong on the end of it.
00:46A little bit of a lackadaisical final effort from the Dutchman.
00:49After great work from Yamal.
00:56Frankie de Jong, of course, trying to be the conductor today in midfield in the absence of Pedri, and he popped up here.
01:05Probably was offsides.
01:07Yeah.
01:08I agree with Alejandro in the pregame, is you're not going to get that from Ruffin Meir.
01:14Ruffin Meir isn't going to be the guy that's going to be breaking the line with his pace,
01:18so if it can come from a midfielder who times that run from a deeper position, it can cause Barcelona some problems.
01:25But you can't give these balls away.
01:28Well, Balde pouncing on that loose ball.
01:30It's opened up for Yamal.
01:31Can he take advantage?
01:32Yes, he can!
01:33Oh, so much noise off the pitch recently for Lamine Yamal.
01:41Doing what he does best, cutting back onto the left foot, and finishing with deadly efficiency.
01:51Just what he needed, just what Barcelona needed.
01:54Doing what he did, when you're a team that wants to have possession, you have to spread yourself out.
02:08And you spread yourself out.
02:09Look at how spread out Elche is to try to find the open pass.
02:14You give a really poor ball away.
02:16Balde does tremendously well of just running at the defense to also exploit that.
02:24The pass was just a little bit behind Lamine Yamal, so he then has the awareness to cut back inside.
02:31Opens up, left foot, take a tremendous finish, giving Pena no opportunity.
02:36But all that stemmed from an Elche side being spread out in possession, a poor pass.
02:43Perfect platform for Barcelona.
02:45Looking to move on from an awkward October, shall we say, as Rashford is the target there.
02:52Another defensive slip, and it's pounced upon.
02:55Opportunity for Mien here, and he tees it up for Ferran Torres.
03:02Easy as you like for Barcelona.
03:04Two defensive miscues, and they have been ruthlessly exploited.
03:15Yeah, I think this one, Adrian, was a little more unfortunate than just a poor giveaway.
03:21It starts when possession turns over in midfield, and then Rashford makes a good run,
03:27and it looks like with a better pass, Rashford would have exploited that little bit of space in behind.
03:32But instead, I think it's, I don't know if it's Nunez, it's just a, yeah, not the best clearance after an awkward positioning.
03:42And then he slips, and then you just can't give the ability and the pace of Barcelona that kind of space in behind you.
03:53And you are punished.
03:58Chesney, of course, it was his arrival last year, brought in by Hansi Flick, that's felt the end for Iñaki Pena,
04:05who had started the season, and leave for Barcelona in the absence of Ter Stegen.
04:09Yeah, I think it'll be really interesting when Ter Stegen gets fit.
04:18That's Mendoza, the substitute, and that's been busy since coming on.
04:23Andres Silva, and a couple of cutbacks, Rafa, there!
04:26Oh, for the same sort of angle from which he scored.
04:29Tension, switching to the other end with Yamal, involved again, Rashford's...
04:38...with the goal himself this time, trying to bend it...
04:42...with the right foot, couldn't quite have enough curl.
04:47That's a good idea, I like the idea, just, you know, I mean, it's...
04:56That's it, oh, De Jong has been caught again, and...
05:03...the crowd thinking that was worthy of another yellow card-inducing moment.
05:08Marc Aguado this time, helping him back to his feet.
05:12It was, Adrian, I mean, that's a high challenge.
05:15You know, okay, I think that where he gets the benefit is the ball was bouncing up,
05:20and the two of them, you know, it wasn't...
05:24...late, it just was awkward.
05:27And Koundé has gone around the back here.
05:29Can he deliver the cross? He can!
05:31Oh, it's floated all the way through to Rashford's!
05:37And again, with high pressure paying off for Barcelona, almost,
05:40with Firmin Lopez breathing down an eight.
05:42Now then, Elche...
05:45...and have broken through here.
05:47And Andre Silva going in...
05:49...and scoring!
05:50It's Rafa Mir who's done it!
05:53Throughout the 90 minutes, and again, another example of...
05:57Oh, what a save!
05:58For Antares was suddenly, in acres of space,
06:03slap-bang in the middle of the penalty area, he turned and shot,
06:06and Inaki Pena with an instinctive right hand to turn that over the top.
06:12Well, I think it's the deflection that actually takes it on,
06:14so it may be a little deflection off the toe.
06:16But Barcelona had been caught offside.
06:18Dani Olmo waiting in the wings.
06:20Will he have a part to play in the second half?
06:24Robert Lewandowski, remember, likewise.
06:29So, Hansi Flick would love to give those two minutes, wouldn't he?
06:31But perhaps with the game in the bag, which is far from it at the moment.
06:35However, here comes Firmin Lopez and Lamin-Yamal!
06:39Couldn't keep it down.
06:40Again, I just don't know how Elche thinks that they can allow that kind of space in behind,
06:47and allow Barcelona these types of counter-attacks.
06:53Couldn't quite replicate the finish he managed early on with the left foot.
07:00But it's the Elche highline that has been penetrated here,
07:03and it's Rashford doing the approach work, can he apply the finish?
07:07Not quite.
07:08What a start, that would have been to the second half.
07:11Yeah, I'm a little surprised here.
07:14I mean, look, again, I think he probably would have been called back for just being offside,
07:21but I thought the better option here was to slide it.
07:25And I know it was good recovery at that far post,
07:29but I truly feel that an earlier pass across the penalty spot would...
07:35Crowd doing their part here at Montjuic, trying to get the team going again as an attacking force,
07:40Firmin Lopez has been released here, he's in the clear,
07:43help arriving from Rashford!
07:45And offside.
07:46From that angle, looked offside.
07:51I like the unselfishness.
07:54In possession to be able to break consistently the press of Barcelona.
08:11Barcelona has not been able to pin Elche and it comes off the top of the crossbar.
08:16It's not like Elche.
08:19What a sweep for Firmin Lopez again.
08:22Three against three for Barcelona.
08:24Crossfield ball to Rashford.
08:26Taking the outside road and scoring!
08:28Wow.
08:29What a finish!
08:31Marcus Rashford is loving life in Barcelona.
08:36And he has the goals to show for it.
08:40And he re-establishes the two-goal advantage that Barcelona have been craving.
08:47Well, that's just pure physical ability from Marcus Rashford.
08:52It's excellent recognition of finding Rashford at the far post.
08:56And then it's, can you afford to isolate yourself in space against the ability of Marcus Rashford?
09:06There's the first ball through.
09:08And then to have this much time and space to hit that crossfield ball, Rashford brings it down, takes his time, creates the space.
09:16And from that angle, you knew it was going to have to be something special.
09:21But look at how much time he had to bring it under control, pull the ball to his left.
09:26And from this angle, you knew it had to be something remarkable.
09:30Tremendous strike off the underside of the crossbar.
09:33It's, it's the, basically it's the only place where Marcus Rashford could beat Pena.
09:40And he hits it perfectly to give Barcelona once again a two-goal lead.
09:45And now Dion.
09:46Off to the races again.
09:48Yep, yep, Rashford.
09:50Ferran Torres waiting in the middle.
09:53Rashford blocked on the edge of the area.
09:55Legally, referee had a perfect view of that.
09:58Rashford stays down.
10:03Not sure how legal that was, but got away with it.
10:10Looked like a clear case of obstruction to me, but no attempt to play the ball.
10:17Played the man and didn't win the ball.
10:21That was our Austrian friend, Gavin Affengruber.
10:25Here comes Elche, though.
10:26Chance to reduce the deficit.
10:27The Woodward has struck again.
10:29Second time they've hit it in the second half.
10:32And still Rashford is down, clutching his face.
10:47I mean, look, I don't know if, I don't, I don't know if he would've won the ball back.
10:51Yeah, it's worked out almost ideally for Hansi Flick, isn't it?
10:55Can we get Lewandowski the right amount of minutes?
10:59Gerard Martin is also gonna accompany him onto the pitch.
11:03And it'll be Rashford who departs.
11:05Well, a busy night for Marcus Rashford.
11:10Led the line on the counterattack so often.
11:15Crowned his night with a goal.
11:17And a thumping goal at that.
11:20Yes, it was.
11:21Yes, it was.
11:23I think, again, good performance from Rashford.
11:25You know, a couple little things that, you know, you never have a perfect half or a perfect match.
11:29But it's showing that he can consistently contribute.
11:34And he's done a really, really good job in, in, in, in, in being that, that person for, you know, Barcelona.
11:47Another who has, uh, Real Madrid on his resume.
11:51Getting to the byline here.
11:53And the comeback for Rafa Mir!
11:55Oof.
11:56Wow.
11:57Rafa Mir could have a hat trick today.
11:59He really could.
12:01I mean, it's like, there's, there's nothing, nothing, nothing, and then all of a sudden...
12:06...scored four goals in nine appearances so far this season.
12:10A lot has been made of the fact that, uh, after 13 games last year, Lewandowski had scored 15.
12:16Well, that's a careless clearance by Pena, picked up by Ferran Torres.
12:21And...
12:22Ooh.
12:23...Yamal has let them off the hook, hasn't it?
12:25Yeah, he knows.
12:26He's, you could see the expression.
12:28He just, it was almost too easy for him, and he just really stopped, you know, the strict concentration of just, you know, ensuring that you just...
12:37...stay on top of the ball, leaned back, was just ready to run away in celebration...
12:44...before he put the ball in the back of the net.
12:47There came the visitors, though. Mendoza with a good cross.
12:55It's that man again, Rafa Mir, a full stretch.
13:02It was Hector Ford, wasn't it, who'd done the approach work.
13:05Yeah, it's a really nice ball in behind, but just asking Rafa Mir just that little bit too much.
13:14And even from that angle, I'm not sure he was necessarily looking to get it on target, but...
13:19...feel to get in behind anymore.
13:21So, he might as well be that link and leave that space and then maybe just come in a little bit deeper.
13:28Well, here he is.
13:29Yamal finding him.
13:30Lewandowski on the turn.
13:34Yeah, there he is.
13:35Just, just coming in from a deeper position because, like he said, he's not, he's not going to be the guy playing off the shoulder.
13:40...shoulder possession right now.
13:42Yamal thought about it and then decided to clip in a cross.
13:49Paying possession.
13:51Now the cross first time towards John. Diving header from him.
14:03Yeah, from that angle, it's always going to be difficult when you're advanced of that near post.
14:08Well, in the end, it's interesting when Real Madrid play before in the weekend.
14:15Eight points looks significantly different than five points.
14:21And so, those little, those little differences make all the...
14:26So, Barcelona does their job.
14:27They rebound.
14:28They get three points at home against a side they should have beat.
14:31And they go on to get some players back into the fitness with Lewandowski and Olmo.
14:40Rashford gets a goal, gets his man of the match, and all is returned.
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