Nino can't quite connect with Carrillo's knockdown inside the box and the hosts clear.
88'
Barcelona are confidently looking to add a fourth, but Elche are still defending bravely as we get closer to stoppage time.
83'
Griezmann slams a shot against the bar, but it wouldn't have counted - Dest was ruled offside in the build-up.
81'
Luismi enters the game and replaces O. Mfulu.
Mfulu is replaced in midfield by Luismi.
79'
Barcelona have been much-improved in the second half, and they can now look forward to a morale-boosting three points.
77'
Pique is also replaced by Lenglet.
The second change sees Alba make way for Dest.
76'
C. Lenglet enters the game and replaces Piqué.
A. Griezmann enters the game and replaces M. Braithwaite.
S. Dest enters the game and replaces Jordi Alba.
Barcelona respond to their third goal with a triple substitution: first, Braithwaite comes off for Griezmann.
73'
Jordi Alba has scored a goal for Barcelona! Assist by M. Braithwaite.
ALBA! 3-0! Alba pokes in from close range to cap off a wonderful team move, after Messi's pinpoint cross is selflessly headed across goal by Braithwaite!
Braithwaite has been excellent since the break and he gets his second assist. This time, he resists the temptation to shoot from Messi's cross and instead delivers it on a plate for Alba with a cushioned header!
Minute
Description
72'
G. Carrillo enters the game and replaces L. Boyé.
Nino enters the game and replaces Pere Milla.
Boye is replaced up top by Carrillo.
Milla also departs with Nino taking his place.
70'
That should be the game now for Barcelona; Elche have defended stoutly but they haven't shown the attacking intent to find two goals in these final 20 minutes.
68'
L. Messi has scored a goal for Barcelona! Assist by F. de Jong.
MESSI GETS HIS SECOND! 2-0! De Jong makes a brilliant run through midfield, riding a number of challenges before selflessly squaring it to Messi, who shimmies into the six-yard box before dinking it over Badia and in!
It was a delightful finish from Messi, but the run from De Jong was perhaps even better! The midfielder surged past Mfulu, before cutting between two defenders to get into the box and set up his iconic teammate!
67'
Sergio Busquets enters the game and replaces Trincão.
Trincao is replaced by Busquets in a conservative change for the hosts.
64'
Dembele twists and turns on the edge of the box, before bending an effort that Josema deflects away.
62'
Another fluent Barcelona move ends with Braithwaite's drilled cross getting hacked away by Verdu.
60'
Tete Morente enters the game and replaces E. Rigoni.
Fidel enters the game and replaces Cifu.
Elche make a double substitution: the first sees Cifu make way for Fidel.
Rigoni is surprisingly replaced by Morente in attack, after a promising display from the winger.
58'
The away side are struggling to break out of their own half right now, as Barcelona continue to pin them in.
54'
The hosts enjoy a long spell of possession in their own half as they look to control the game after taking the lead.
52'
Well, that's the ideal start to the half for Barcelona. The longer this one remained at 0-0 the more you feared that their fragile confidence would lead them to another disappointing day.
50'
Elche look to quickly get back level but Boye's shot from 12 yards screws well wide.
48'
L. Messi has scored a goal for Barcelona! Assist by M. Braithwaite.
Braithwaite had a quiet first half, but he responds excellently by playing a deft, first-time flick into Messi who finishes precisely!
MESSI! 1-0! It's a brilliant goal for the hosts immediately after the break! Messi runs ominously at the Elche defence, before playing a slick one-two with Braithwaite and firing a one-one through Badia and in!
46'
O. Dembélé enters the game and replaces M. Pjanić.
An attacking change at the break for the hosts: the midfielder Pjanic is replaced by the winger, Dembele.
Barcelona get the second half underway.
45' +2
HALF TIME: Barcelona 0-0 Elche
45' +1
Barcelona work a dangerous corner short to Pedri, whose curling cross forces Badia into an acrobatic leap to grab the delivery.
45'
Milla and Rigoni get away on the counter-attack, and Milla drives at the backtracking defence before hitting a 25-yard effort straight at Ter Stegen.
43'
Both teams seem content to regroup and take this scoreline into the break as we approach half time.
41'
Josema skips out of defence and hits a testing throughball towards Rigoni that trickles out of play.
39'
Messi clips another free-kick into the box, but it's nodded away by Boye.
37'
Another move comes to an end for the hosts as Trincao loses out to Mojica, before fouling the defender.
33'
Milla hooks it across from the byline, forcing Umtiti to concede a corner. However, the resulting delivery swings over everyone, before Guti slams a wild half-volley high and wide.
31'
Elche are offering little in attack, but they're restricting Barcelona effectively right now.
29'
Milla trips Pedri 25 yards from goal, presenting Barcelona with a promising shooting opportunity. Messi opts to cross it though, and De Jong is immediately penalised for an offside.
25'
The hosts are just starting to build the pressure on Elche, and the visitors respond by maintaining possession inside their own half for a spell.
23'
Messi and Pedri combine with a neat interchange on the edge of the box, before Barragan puts it out for a corner. Barcelona whip a few deliveries into the box in quick succession, but the away side clear.
19'
De Jong can't find Messi inside the box and Elche break quickly through Rigoni. The winger tears down the left flank and bursts past Mingueza, before firing in a cross that Alba puts behind. Again, the away side's corner amounts to nothing though.
15'
Elche are mostly sitting deep right now - they're attempting to frustrate Barcelona, before hitting them with rapid counter-attacks.
13'
Guti's corner is cleared by Pique at the second attempt.
12'
De Jong loses possession in a dangerous area to Mfulu, but the midfielder recovers to poke it away for a corner.
10'
The hosts appeal for a penalty after Braithwaite goes down while making a run off the ball, but the referee and VAR remain unmoved.
8'
Barcelona have started well in possession, but Boye's chance is another reminder that they can easily be exposed at the back.
5'
Barcelona continue their confident start with a spell of purposeful possession inside the Elche half.
1'
Elche get the first half underway.
Hello and welcome to live commentary of this LaLiga fixture between Barcelona and Elche. The hosts enter this one in need of a lift: they’ve won once in their last four games across all competitions – including a 4-1 defeat against PSG in the Champions League – and they’ll be looking to return to form today.
Elche, meanwhile, are sitting in 18th – but with two games in hand on the sides above them, they’ll be hoping for a positive result to boost their bid to avoid relegation.
BARCELONA (4-3-3): Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Oscar Mingueza, Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti, Jordi Alba; Frenkie de Jong, Miralem Pjanic, Pedri; Trincao, Lionel Messi, Martin Braithwaite.
SUBS: Matheus Fernandes, Sergino Dest, Junior Firpo, Antoine Griezmann, Konrad De la Fuente, Sergio Busquets, Clement Lenglet, Inaki Pena, Neto, Ousmane Dembele, Riqui Puig.
ELCHE (3-4-2-1): Edgar Badia; Antonio Barragan, Gonzalo Verdu, Josema; Cifu, Omenuke Mfulu, Raul Guti, Johan Mojica; Emiliano Rigoni, Pere Milla; Lucas Boye.
The players are emerging from the tunnel and kick off is just seconds away!
Braithwaite has offered little in attack for the hosts and you'd think they'll look to replace him if that doesn't change in the second period.
The result means that Barcelona move up to third, while Elche drop to 19th.
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