Yamal and Rashford score as Barcelona rebounds from clasico loss

Barcelona is five points behind league leader Madrid, which routed Valencia 4-0 at home on Saturday. Barcelona entered the match in third place, one point behind Villarreal, which defeated Rayo Vallecano 4-0 on Saturday.

“I saw many things we did well, but I also saw some we didn’t do well,” Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said. “It was a tough match, but it meant the three points were earned. We have to improve. We are more confident with this victory, it is another step, but we have to continue. I am happy and we have to think positively about the games to come.”

Barcelona next faces Club Brugge on Wednesday in the league phase of the Champions League.

Yamal, criticized by some after a lackluster performance against Madrid, put the hosts ahead with a shot from inside the area in the ninth minute after Alejandro Balde's assist. Torres added to the lead three minutes later after a pass by Fermín López to reach 50 goals with Barcelona.

Torres, a Valencia native, displayed a message on his undershirt honoring the victims of the deadly floods in the Valencia region a year ago. The message said: “Valencia, always in our memory.”

Elche hit back with a goal by Rafa Mir in a 42nd-minute breakaway, but Rashford added to Barcelona's lead with a left-footed shot from a difficult angle in the 61st for his sixth goal of the season at his new club.

Rashford had a 52nd-minute goal disallowed for offside in the buildup, and Mir nearly equalized for the visitors in the 55th with a curling shot that brushed the crossbar with Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny beaten. Mir also struck the woodwork with his team down 3-1 in the 68th after a neat save by Szczesny.

Elche, sitting in ninth place, is winless in four consecutive league matches, with three losses.

Barcelona, which had lost three of its previous five matches in all competitions, is still playing at Montjuic stadium while waiting for the proper permits to reopen the renovated Camp Nou.

The loss to Madrid halted a four-game winning streak against its rival.

Playmaker Dani Olmo and striker Robert Lewandowski made their returns from injury for Barcelona, entering the match as second-half substitutes. They hadn't played for the club since early October.

Other results

Eighth-placed Alaves scored first-half goals to beat Espanyol 2-1 at home and end a two-match winless run. Lucas Boyé, who scored one of the goals, was sent off with a second yellow card in second-half stoppage time. Sixth-placed Espanyol was coming off three straight wins across all tournaments.

Celta Vigo won its fourth match in a row in all competitions by beating 10-man Levante 2-1 on the road thanks to Miguel Romána's stoppage-time goal. Óscar Mingueza had put the visitors ahead in the 40th and Kevin Arriaga equalized for Levante in the 66th.

Celta moved to 12th place.

Levante — winless in three league matches and coming off elimination in the Copa del Rey — was 16th, just outside the relegation zone.

Antony scored two first-half goals as fifth-placed Real Betis defeated Mallorca 3-0 at home. Ez Abde also scored before the interval. Mallorca is 17th.

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