Yamal shines brightly as Barca extends their lead over Real Madrid in La Liga

(Football results) - Barcelona triumphed 3-1 on Elche’s turf, expanding their advantage at the summit of La Liga 2025/26 and continuing to demonstrate superior power.

In the early hours of January 2nd (Vietnam time), Barcelona visited Elche’s stadium during the 22nd round of La Liga 2025/26. The Catalan club reinforced their leading position by winning convincingly 3-1, increasing the gap to 4 points ahead of their closest rivals.

Barcelona started proactively and quickly converted their dominance into a goal. In the 6th minute, Lamine Yamal opened the scoring after a sharp combination with Dani Olmo. The young Barca talent broke through, outmaneuvered the goalkeeper, and calmly tapped the ball into an empty net, giving the visitors an early lead.

Following the opener, Barcelona maintained pressure. Dani Olmo nearly doubled the lead with a curling shot that hit the crossbar. However, before they could capitalize further, Barca was unexpectedly pegged back. In the 29th minute, Alvaro Rodriguez exploited space outside the box to unleash a low, precise shot that beat goalkeeper Inaki Pena, leveling the match.

The final moments of the first half were intense. Ferran Torres fired a close-range shot that struck the crossbar, then hit his shoulder and the post in a follow-up chance that went begging. Nevertheless, the Spanish forward redeemed himself. In the 40th minute, he rushed onto a precise cross from Frenkie de Jong and hammered the ball into the roof of the net, restoring Barcelona’s lead before halftime.

In the second half, Barca controlled the game but lacked sharpness in finishing. Marcus Rashford, coming off the bench, missed a golden opportunity in a one-on-one with the keeper. Still, at the 72nd minute, the English striker made his mark. Taking advantage of a partially blocked cross from Lamine Yamal, Rashford fired decisively to increase the score to 3-1.

In the closing minutes, Barcelona created more chances, notably Yamal’s shot soaring over the bar from a very favorable position. Although no further goals were scored, the 3-1 win was sufficient for Hansi Flick’s squad to leave Elche with full points, solidifying their firm hold on the top spot in La Liga 2025/26.