MADRID: Lamine Yamal scored early as Barcelona rebounded from its clasico defeat by beating Elche 3-1 at home to regain second place in the Spanish league on Sunday.
Ferran Torres and Marcus Rashford also scored for Barcelona, a week after it lost 2-1 at Real Madrid in the first clasico of the season.
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.
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.
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. Fifth-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 17th, just outside the relegation zone.
Yamal and Rashford score as Barcelona rebounds from clasico loss
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Yamal and Rashford score as Barcelona rebounds from clasico loss
- Barcelona is five points behind league leader Madrid
DP World ILT20 stars power UAE’s spirited campaign at ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
- Sharafu’s 145-run haul, Waseem’s captain’s knock and Siddique’s 5/35 underline the DP World ILT20’s growing impact on UAE cricket
- Aryansh Sharma emerges as UAE’s breakout star, showcasing the strength of the DP World ILT20 pathway
DUBAI: The UAE’s participation at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 may have ended at the group stage on Feb. 18, but their competitive performances have underlined the steady rise of the national side on the global stage in recent years.
Across four high-intensity group matches, the UAE demonstrated composure against some of the most established teams in world cricket. Central to that progress was the influence of the DP World ILT20, whose environment has prepared UAE players to compete fearlessly against the sport’s biggest names.
Leading from the front was captain Muhammad Waseem. The MI Emirates player’s 66 off 45 balls against New Zealand — his highest score of the tournament — was a statement knock against elite opposition. The innings echoed the form that saw him secure the coveted Blue Belt as Best UAE Player for a fourth consecutive season in the DP World ILT20, where he amassed 370 runs in 13 innings as MI Emirates reached the Season 4 final.
Alishan Sharafu, who represents Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, emerged as the UAE’s leading run-scorer in the tournament. He compiled 145 runs in four matches, including a composed 55 off 47 against the New Zealand — his highest score. Sharafu was one of four UAE players to register a half-century in the tournament.
The bowling unit, too, carried a strong DP World ILT20 imprint. Junaid Siddique, who secured a high-value contract with Sharjah Warriorz at the historic Season 4 Player Auction, produced the tournament’s standout performance for the UAE. His sensational 5 for 35 against Canada at the Arun Jaitley Stadium dismantled the opposition and earned him player of the match honors.
Siddique finished as the UAE’s highest wicket-taker with seven scalps, capping a campaign that validated his status as one of the league’s premium signings.
Meanwhile, Haider Ali and left-arm pacer Muhammad Jawadullah — both regular features for Dubai Capitals — brought discipline and control to the attack, reinforcing the depth fostered within the league ecosystem. Also featuring in the UAE squad were Mayank Kumar of Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Muhammad Farooq of Dubai Capitals, and Rohid Khan of MI Emirates.
Beyond the established names, the tournament also unveiled exciting prospects. Twenty-one-year-old Aryansh Sharma produced a defining moment with an unbeaten 74 in the five-wicket win over Canada, guiding the chase with poise and composure. Sohaib Khan emerged as the team’s third-highest run-getter with 132 runs, including a fluent 68 off 48 deliveries against Afghanistan national cricket team. These are players who will undoubtedly attract attention ahead of the DP World ILT20 Season 5 Player Auction.
The broader takeaway from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is the steady evolution of UAE cricket, with the Emirates side underlining how the DP World ILT20 is increasingly shaping players for the global stage rather than remaining just a domestic showcase.
