Substitute Nico Gonzalez gives struggling Barcelona a tough win

Saturday December 18, 2021 at 8:21 pm• Chris Major • Last Update: 20:24

And Barcelona booked on Saturday evening with great difficulty a 3-2 victory over Elche. Xavi’s team, where Frenkie de Jong played 76 minutes and Luc de Jong remained on the bench throughout the match, advanced 2-0 at their Camp Nou against Elche within nineteen minutes, but that margin closed in a handed second-half break within a minute. In the end, substitute Nico Gonzalez scored the winning goal in the 85th minute. Barcelona are now seventh in La Liga, while Elche is 16th.

Due to the absence of Memphis Depay, among others, Xavi chose an atypical vanguard, Don Luc de Jong. Abdel Zalzouli, Ousmane Dembele and Ferran Gutgla formed the front line, the latter making his debut with Barcelona. The 22-year-old winger appeared to have opened the scoring within minutes, but his goal was disallowed for offside. With sixteen minutes on the clock, it was struck for Jutglà. He nodded a corner kick from Dembele in the far corner behind goalkeeper Edgar Badia.

Fabulous! ?? Veran Gutlja proves his coach’s right to score right away and takes super talented Gavi one step further by putting him 2-0 on the scoreboard after a superb move?? Barcelona made a strong start! ??# Zygo Sport # La Liga # Barcelona pic.twitter.com/CAg8S9Iujs

– Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) December 18 2021

The margin doubled after two minutes thanks to Jaffe’s first goal in a Barcelona shirt. The midfielder receives the ball just past the halfway line, turns his heels away from his opponent, runs past the next opponent and hits the far corner. After 23 minutes of play, Barcelona were lucky that Elche did not return to the match, when Enzo Roco came out of the penalty area and shot hard into the goal. The best chances in the remainder of the first half were for Barcelona, ​​through Frenkie de Jong, Dembele, Abdi and Gottla, among others.

The best chance came just before the end of the first half for Jaffe, whose second goal was stopped by the Elche defender. However, Barcelona had yet to get rid of Elche at the start of the second half, and the visitors quickly handed warnings via Lucas Pouille and Lucas Perez. Barcelona failed to increase the score via Jutglà and Gavi and saw Elche return to the match with 61 minutes on the clock. Boyé sent substitute Tete Morente, who passed Clément Lenglet and hit the ball hard and high into the far corner.

Unbelievable…?? As has so often been the case this season, the fall back against Barcelona in the second half is huge and Elche come back from 2-0 down in less than a minute?? Barcelona can return to work! ??# Zygo Sport # La Liga # Barcelona pic.twitter.com/2SjkjxkV19

– Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) December 18 2021

Less than a minute later, it was another blow and Barcelona’s comfortable lead evaporated. Goal scorer Morenti gave space on the right side of the field to pass the ball and Berry found a completely separated Milla at the far post, who had already scored the equalizer in the short corner through the hands of goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Barcelona could have taken the lead right after that, but Guttgla almost got close to the goal line.

Barcelona went into the final stage emphatically looking for a new lead. Substitute Nico Gonzalez had a great opportunity for it, but his effort was kept away by Elche defender Hillipleton Palacios. Five minutes before the end, Nico hit the target. Gavi evaded Elche’s defense and found Nico inside the penalty area, who cleverly placed the skin in the upper right corner. In doing so, he awarded Barcelona another victory after not winning in the previous three matches. The Catalan team concludes 2021 on Tuesday with a home match against Seville.