Without suspended Messi Barca lacked its lethal edge but managed to scrape a win over Elche with a 2-0 finish with goals by Frenkie de Jong and Riqui Puig. At halftime itself, De Jong had secured a lead for Barcelona and later Puig joined as a substitute in the second half to win 2-0. Ronald Koeman sees to it that Barcelona rose to back-to-back victory despite having sent off Messi to serve his suspension.
The Argentinian will now join his teammates for Wednesday’s clash at Rayo Vallecano after being sent off in the match against Seville. In the legends absence, De Jong took charge with a goal and an assist. Barcelona is currently third on the La Liga table with 37 points, 10 points behind Atletico Madrid while Elche is deep in trouble in the relegation zone with 17 points.