De Jong leads Barca to Elche gain without Messi
Barcelona overcame the lack of a suspended Lionel Messi to earn a 2-0 get away to struggling Elche found in La Liga on Sunday because of goals late found in each fifty percent from midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Riqui Puig.
Barca went ahead found in the 39th minute using what looked to come to be an own aim from Elche's Diego Gonzalez but Dutchman De Jong, who had delivered the cross which caused Gonzalez to divert the ball towards target, sprinted to find the final touch right before it crossed the line.
Elche winger Emiliano Rigoni missed an excellent prospect to level for the house side in the second one half after a glaring error from Barca defender Oscar Mingueza but was denied by a heroic save from Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
The Catalans struggled to locate a second to ease their nerves until alternative Puig headed in a cross from De Jong in the 89th minute to score his earliest La Liga goal and clinch a fourth consecutive win for Barca.
De Jong, found in his best form since joining the golf club two years ago from Ajax Amsterdam, thrust past two defenders to race towards the byline but nonetheless managed to keep his composure and deliver an ideal cross for the diminutive Puig to head home.
Ronald Koeman's part are third found in the table on 37 things, seven behind leaders Atletico Madrid who've two games in hand. Elche remain 19th on 17 points, two from the protection zone.
"We have been playing somewhat better since the yr began, we've won all our games which ultimately shows we've improved," said De Jong, who possesses scored 3 x and provided several assists in his last six matches in all competitions.
"We'd to press them hard because they wanted to take up the ball out from the back and if you don't press properly as a good team it could get difficult. This is not an easy game but we proved helpful hard and are incredibly happy to have won it.
"Scoring goals and offering assists doesn't signify you are performing better necessarily but I'm happy to have done so."
