Elche sparred with La Blaugrana early on but their solid work was undone in one moment of blind panic. With Lewandowsi through on goal, Gonzalo Verdú gave the referee no choice and left his team-mates with a mountain to climb by dragging the Pole down and subsequently seeing red. It took another 20 minutes for Barça to make their numerical advantage count when Lewandowski tapped in to ensure Elche conceded first for an 11th consecutive league match.
If Barça’s opener was all about slick build-up, their second was all about Memphis Depay as the Dutchman spun John Donald and lashed high into the net in one swift, premeditated maneuver. Elche found more time for self-destruction before the break as boss Francisco was sent off for lambasting the linesman after Pedri looked to have grabbed a third, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.
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The three-goal buffer didn’t take long to arrive after the restart as Ousmane Dembélé’s low cross was poorly dealt with by the visitors and Lewandowski cleaned up from close range. He could have capped off another commanding display with a hat-trick after Gavi’s incisive through ball, but the 34-year-old misfired under pressure from the Elche defence. Late on, the metronomic Pedri carved out one last opportunity as he fed substitute Ferran Torres but Édgar Badía saved well with his feet.
Barça boss Xavi has to wait until Sunday’s Madrid derby to find out whether his side will remain top of the table over the international break. Meanwhile, Elche’s training pitch was stormed by angry fans this week with pressure mounting on Francisco. Having notched just one shot at the Camp Nou, their new position at the foot of the table won’t have made his situation any easier.