Barcelona vs Elche live score, updates, highlights and lineups from La Liga 2022/23

The final set of La Liga matches before the September international break sets up quite nicely for Barcelona. The Blaugrana can go top of the table on Saturday with a match against the last-place club, and potentially remain there if Real Madrid cannot remain perfect and beat rivals Atletico in the Madrid derby on Sunday.

Barcelona have won every one of their La Liga matches except for a 0-0 draw against Rayo Vallecano to start the season. And they only suffered their first loss of 2022/23 in the UEFA Champions League at Bayern Munich on Tuesday. But it wasn’t for lack of scoring chances: Robert Lewandowski, who is leading the La Liga scoring charts, could not find his goal touch against his former club.

Elche have greater concerns in the goal-scoring department. They only have two to their name after five matches, and instead conceded four goals in each of their past two matches. They will try their best to frustrate Barcelona as they almost succeeded in doing on two occasions last season, losing by only one goal in their two meetings with the winner coming inside the final five minutes in each instance.

Sporting News is following the Barcelona-Elche match live and providing live score updates, commentary.

MORE: Updated La Liga table | Latest top scorers in La Liga 

Barcelona vs. Elche live score

Goals:
None

Barcelona vs. Elche live updates, highlights from La Liga

90 mins from kickoff: Based on the history between these two teams, it seems like the only real suspense for this match is just how many goals Barcelona will score against Elche.

📊| Barcelona’s last five games against Elche:

• 0-6 ✅
• 3-0 ✅
• 0-2 ✅
• 3-2 ✅
• 1-2 ✅#fcblive #BarçaElche pic.twitter.com/VYJC23CTWv

— BarçaTimes (@BarcaTimes) September 17, 2022

Barcelona vs Elche lineups

Xavi Hernandez has a full-strength Barcelona side at his disposal and there are five changes from the starting lineup that faced Bayern. In the back, Alex Balde returns at left-back alongside center-back Eric Garcia. Frenkie de Jong gets the nod over Gavi in midfield, where Franck Kessie replaces Sergio Busquets. Regular winger Raphinha makes room for Memphis Depay.

Barcelona starting lineup (4-3-3, right to left): 1-Marc-Andre Ter Stegen (GK) — 23-Jules Kounde, 4-Ronald Araujo, 24-Eric Garcia, 28-Alex Balde — 21-Frenkie de Jong, 19-Franck Kessie, 8-Pedri — 7-Ousmane Dembele, 9-Robert Lewandowski, 14-Memphis Depay 

Barcelona subs (12): 26-Inaki Pena (GK), 36-Arnau Tenas (GK), 2-Hector Bellerin, 3-Gerard Pique, 15-Andreas Christensen, 17-Marcos Alonso, 18-Jordi Alba, 5-Sergio Busquets, 30-Gavi, 22-Raphinha, 11-Ferran Torres, 10-Ansu Fati

As if things weren’t bad enough for Elche, reports in Spain say that a stomach virus has swept through the locker, affecting several players. Pere Milla has still not recovered from it and will sit out. Elche manager Francisco Rodriguez, who is going with a five-man backline, will also have to do without Omar Mascarell and Pol Lirola due to injury. Barcelona loanee Alex Collado, who has one of Elche’s goals on the season, will begin the match on the bench. 

Elche starting lineup (5-4-1, right to left): 13-Edgar Badia (GK) — 14-Helibelton Palacios, 26-John Chetauya Nwankwo Donald, 6-Pedro Bigas, 5-Gonzalo Verdu, 23-Carlos Clerc — 11-Tete Morente, 8-Raul Guti, 20-Gerard Gumbau, 16-Fidel — 9-Lucas Boye.

Elche subs (12): 1-Axel Werner (GK), 28-Jesus Lopez (GK), 3-Enzo Roco, 2-Federico Fernandez, 4-Diego Gonzalez, 22-Nicolas Fernandez, 12-Domingos Quina, 15-Alex Collado, 17-Josan, 7-Javier Pastore, 19-Ezequiel Ponce, 18-Roger Marti

Barcelona vs. Elche TV channel, live stream

UK: The match will be on LaLigaTV in the UK which can be streamed on Premier Sports’ Player and Amazon Prime Video.

USA: All La Liga matches stream on ESPN+ in the USA.

Canada: TSN has the rights to La Liga in Canada and will be making the game available on its streaming platforms.

Australia: All the action from La Liga is streamed on Optus Sport in Australia.

Barcelona vs Elche prediction, best bet

Odds via Caesars (USA), Sports Interaction (Canada), & SkyBet (UK).

We know how these David vs. Goliath matches typically go: It’s one-way traffic, and sometimes big clubs have their way with the minnows and goals are flowing (see Barcelona vs. Viktoria Plzen which finished 5-1). Other times it’s a real struggle for the giants (see Barcelona’s scoreless draw vs. Rayo Vallecano to start the La Liga season).

So betting goal totals, sides, or spreads (handicaps) is tough to do when the game sets up like this, and the odds are often not attractive enough for the risk. Props and parlays are usually the way to go.

Since it’s clear that Barcelona are the better side and should win the match, but it’s unclear whether they will be able to bury Elche under an avalanche of goals, they’re superior enough to be at least a goal better in each half. Real Betis (3-0 winners) and Villarreal (4-0 winners) have been able to win both halves against Elche this season, and both happened to come at home.

• Pick: Barcelona to win 1st Half & 2nd Half (-140 on Caesars)
• Prediction: Barcelona 3, Elche 0