Elche vs Barcelona - Predictions, Stats & Odds

Barcelona continued their impressive La Liga campaign with a 3-1 victory over Elche on Saturday, 31 January 2026. The match, held at Elche's home ground, saw Barcelona assert their dominance early on and maintain control throughout, a result that was largely expected given their superior form and squad depth. The game started with a bang as Lamine Yamal (GAP +9.6%) opened the scoring for Barcelona in the 6th minute, setting the tone for the visitors. Elche responded in the 29th minute through Álvaro Rodríguez, who managed to level the score temporarily. However, Barcelona regained their lead just before halftime when Ferran Torres (GAP +2.1%) found the back of the net in the 40th minute. The second half saw Barcelona continue to press, and their efforts were rewarded in the 72nd minute when Marcus Rashford, not listed in the initial lineup data, scored to seal the victory. This goal underscored Barcelona's attacking prowess and depth, as they managed to score through a substitute. Tactically, Barcelona's lineup featured no changes from their previous match, indicating a stable and confident approach from the coaching staff. Key players like Raphinha (GAP +7.9%) and Jules Koundé (GAP +7.4%) played crucial roles in maintaining defensive solidity and creating opportunities. Elche, on the other hand, struggled to contain Barcelona's attacking threats despite a spirited performance. Víctor Chust (GAP -1.1%) and Adrià Pedrosa (GAP -1.0%) were unable to prevent the visitors from exploiting gaps in their defense. Post-match reactions highlighted Barcelona's continued push for the top spots in La Liga, as they remain a formidable force in the league. This victory helps them maintain momentum as they aim to challenge for the title. Elche, meanwhile, will need to regroup and address their defensive vulnerabilities as they look to improve their standing in the league. Overall, the match was a testament to Barcelona's quality and depth, with key performances from their attacking lineup ensuring a comfortable win.

Lineups

Elche

Pos	Player
GK	Iñaki Peña
DEF	Adrià Pedrosa
DEF	John Donald
DEF	Víctor Chust
DEF	David Affengruber
MID	Marc Aguado
MID	Rodrigo Mendoza
FWD	André Silva
FWD	Grady Diangana
FWD	Germán Valera
FWD	Álvaro Rodríguez

Barcelona

Pos	Player
GK	Joan García
DEF	Jules Koundé
DEF	Eric García
DEF	Alejandro Balde
DEF	Pau Cubarsí
MID	Frenkie de Jong
MID	Dani Olmo
MID	Fermín López
FWD	Raphinha
FWD	Ferran Torres
FWD	Lamine Yamal

Difference Maker Star: Top 3 players of their team

League Table after the game

#	Team	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Form
1	Barcelona	22	18	1	3	60	23	+37	55	W W L W W
13	Elche	22	5	9	8	30	32	-2	24	L D D L L

Last Games

Elche

Barcelona

Head-to-Head

La Liga

Gameweek 22

What is GAP?

What is Plus Minus Goals (G±)?

Plus Minus Goals (G±) is the average goal difference per game while the player was on the pitch. A value above 0 indicates that the team rather wins, a value below 0 means his team concedes more goals than they score when the player is on the pitch. As an example, if the player's team is winning 3:1 the goal difference is +2, if the player's team is loosing 0:1, the goal difference is -1. It is a pure metric which is barely adjusted for circumstances to purely show the goal difference.

What is GAP?

GAP (Game Advantage Percentage) shows the percentage gap between a player and the average league player. It answers the question: How much does a player improve or worsen a team's performance? It is based on high level game data with a focus on the impact on the goal difference (G±) from the last 50 games of a player. Besides that, GAP goes further and considers game context by involving data from the player and all other players who are at the same time on the pitch, no matter if teammates or opponents. Football GAP - the individual metric for team players.