Garcia: Barca's Elche win bites back, Europe will need sharper finishing
1 February 2026
Match Reaction
Eric Garcia, the Spanish defender, expressed satisfaction with Barcelona's 3-1 win over Elche on Saturday in La Liga matchday 22.
He noted the first half was very strong, similar to the Real Sociedad game in terms of creating chances, and suggested a larger scoreline would have better reflected their performance.
He added that while everyone is happy, advancing in the Champions League requires turning chances into goals, because nobody misses on purpose and they’re pleased with the display.
Second-half Control and Closing Thoughts
Garcia said the team were clearly angry because they knew Elche could be dangerous, but they controlled the second half well, and the 3-1 result sealed the game.
Punchline 1: If goals were targets, Barça would hire a marksman—calm, accurate, and always ready to strike in the right moment.
Punchline 2: In Europe, finishing touches matter; Barca’s finish rate should be higher than their locker-room Wi‑Fi signal.
