Elche once again showed how much they have improved since Fran Escriba returned as coach and Dani Calvo's 61st minute header off the underside of the bar gave them the lead against a lackluster Real Madrid, who once again failed to perform against a rival in the bottom half of the table on Saturday
Barca coach Ronald Koeman said in his pre-game press conference that this game and Saturday's trip to Sevilla were vital for his side's title chances, and he made changes to try and keep his squad fresh