Barcelona vs Elche result: Robert Lewandowski scores two more goals as Barca go top in La Liga

Barcelona are back at the top of La Liga and top scorer Robert Lewandowski is a big reason adding to his league-leading total with another two goals in a 3-0 win over last-place Elche at the Camp Nou.

An early red card displayed to Elche commander Gonzalo Verdu just made things simpler for Barcelona, who stay undefeated on the season with five straight wins following a season-opening 0-0 draw. On the off chance that Genuine Madrid can’t overcome Atletico in Sunday’s Madrid derby, then the Blaugrana will be the La Liga pioneer entering October after the impending FIFA global break.

Lewandowski opened the scoring with a clinical goal about 10 minutes before the halftime break, with an easy tap-in of a cross by Alejandro Balde, who was active in attack.

Memphis Depay doubled the advantage just before the break with a solo effort. He received the ball in the box with his back to goal, and then spun his defender and fired into the roof of the net for a spectacular finish.

Lewandowski’s second objective of the match was likewise presented on a platter. He ran onto a free ball in the crate and serenely opened it into the rear of the net. The support gives him eight objectives in six La Liga matches.

Barcelona will be back in action on Saturday, Oct. 1 when they travel to face Mallorca. Elche will be on the road again at Rayo Vallecano on Monday, Oct. 3 and they’ll start the month in last place.

Barcelona vs. Elche live score

	1H	2H	Final
Barcelona	2	1	—
Elche	0	0	—

Goals:

BAR — Robert Lewandowski (Alex Balde) — 34th min.

BAR — Memphis Depay (Alex Balde) — 41st min.

BAR — Robert Lewandowski — 48th min.

Barcelona vs. Elche live updates, highlights from La Liga

Final: Barcelona 3, Elche 0

80th min.: Chance Barcelona. What a chance for Ronaldo Araujo, who was all alone in front of the ‘keeper after a set piece found its way to him. But he went for the acrobatic finish which he shanked wide. He was not offside and all alone.

78th min.: SUB Elche. Center-back Pedro Bigas picks up what looks like a groin injury and has to come out. Diego Gonzalez replaces him.

75th min.: Chance Barcelona. Scoop pass by Pedri to Ansu Fati and his most memorable time cross across the six-yard box simply misses Raphinha, who was crashing the contrary post. Almost a fourth.

73rd min.: YELLOW to Barcelona. It’s shown right away to Ferran Torres who just came into the game and committed a dangerous tackle to win the back. About five minutes earlier Nico Fernandez of Elche also got a yellow for a challenge on Lewandowski.

72nd min.: SUB Barcelona. And after that chance, Lewandowski is out of the game. His replacement, Ferran Torres, will be eager to get his season going in these final 20 minutes.

71st min.: Chance Barcelona! It’s Lewandowski who had a chance for a hat trick! Gavi fed him the ball and it got caught in his feet, but he still got a shot off and it finished high of the target.

68th min.: SUBS Elche. Josan (for Tete Morente on the right wing) and Ezequiel Ponce (for Lucas Boye at center forward). We’ll see if Ponce can get his team’s first shot on target in this game.

59th min.: SUBS Barcelona. Ansu Fati (for Memphis Depay), Raphinha (for Ousmane Dembele), and Hector Bellerin (for Eric Garcia) are in the game. Lewandowski stays in there on the chase after additional objectives. Bellerin will be the right-back, with Jules Kounde moving to focus back.

53rd min.: SUBS Elche. Nico Fernandez (for Fidel wide left) and Domingos Quina (for Raul Guti in central midfield) are now in the game.

48th min.: Goal Barcelona! It’s Lewandowski again. A cross into the six yard box from the right by Ousmane Dembele squirts out to Lewandowski who runs onto it and places where the goalkeeper was not. That was so easy. It’s goal No. 8 for Lewa.

46th min.: The second half is underway. Gavi is in for Franck Kessie, who was on a yellow and living dangerously.

44th min.: Disallowed goal for Barcelona. Pedri scores, but he was offside on the touch by Lewandowski in front of goal. The Elche resistance seems to have let up — Barcelona are getting into the box with ease.

41st min.: Objective Barcelona! This time Memphis Depay returns the ball with his once again to objective in the case. Also, the Dutch striker simply turns the protector John on his back and shoots it with his left into the top of the net. He educated him. It’s 2-0 Barca.

Xavi Hernandez has a full-strength Barcelona side at his disposal and there are five changes from the starting lineup that faced Bayern. In the back, Alex Balde returns at left-back alongside center-back Eric Garcia. Frenkie de Jong gets the nod over Gavi in midfield, where Franck Kessie replaces Sergio Busquets. Regular winger Raphinha makes room for Memphis Depay.

Barcelona starting lineup (4-3-3, right to left): 1-Marc-Andre Ter Stegen (GK) — 23-Jules Kounde, 4-Ronald Araujo, 24-Eric Garcia, 28-Alex Balde — 21-Frenkie de Jong, 19-Franck Kessie, 8-Pedri — 7-Ousmane Dembele, 9-Robert Lewandowski, 14-Memphis Depay 

Barcelona subs (12): 26-Inaki Pena (GK), 36-Arnau Tenas (GK), 2-Hector Bellerin, 3-Gerard Arouse, 15-Andreas Christensen, 17-Marcos Alonso, 18-Jordi Alba, 5-Sergio Busquets, 30-Gavi, 22-Raphinha, 11-Ferran Torres, 10-Ansu Fati

As if things weren’t bad enough for Elche, reports in Spain say that a stomach virus has swept through the locker, affecting several players. Pere Milla has still not recovered from it and will sit out. Elche manager Francisco Rodriguez, who is going with a five-man backline, will also have to do without Omar Mascarell and Pol Lirola due to injury. Barcelona loanee Alex Collado, who has one of Elche’s goals on the season, will begin the match on the bench. 

Elche starting lineup (5-4-1, right to left): 13-Edgar Badia (GK) — 14-Helibelton Palacios, 26-John Chetauya Nwankwo Donald, 5-Gonzalo Verdu, 6-Pedro Bigas, 23-Carlos Clerc — 11-Tete Morente, 8-Raul Guti, 20-Gerard Gumbau, 16-Fidel — 9-Lucas Boye.

We know how these David versus Goliath matches regularly go: It’s one-way traffic, and some of the time enormous clubs have their direction with the minnows and objectives are streaming (see Barcelona versus Viktoria Plzen which completed 5-1). Different times it’s a genuine battle for the goliaths (see Barcelona’s scoreless draw versus Rayo Vallecano to begin the La Liga season).

So betting goal totals, sides, or spreads (handicaps) is tough to do when the game sets up like this, and the odds are often not attractive enough for the risk. Props and parlays are usually the way to go.

Since plainly Barcelona are the better side and ought to dominate the game, however it’s hazy whether they will actually want to cover Elche under a torrential slide of objectives, they’re better enough than be essentially an objective better in every half. Genuine Betis (3-0 champs) and Villarreal (4-0 victors) have had the option to win the two parts against Elche this season, and both ended up coming at home.