Defending La Liga champions Barcelona made a statement in their season opener, cruising to a 5-0 victory over Elche at the Martinez Valero stadium. The result serves as an early message to rivals, including Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid—who narrowly defeated Espanyol 2-1—that the Catalans are determined to retain their title.
Hansi Flick opted to start several key players on the bench as they continue their post-World Cup recovery. While teenage winger Lamine Yamal started on the right, he struggled to find his rhythm, though the team’s overall performance remained sparkling. In the absence of departed strikers Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, Raphinha stepped into the number nine role and excelled.
The scoring began in the 14th minute when Raphinha was fouled in the box by Victor Chust. The Brazilian forward converted the resulting penalty to ignite the scoring. Before halftime, Karim Adeyemi, making his debut, doubled the lead after receiving an unselfish pass from Raphinha.
The second half saw Anthony Gordon make an immediate impact as a substitute. The former Newcastle United winger provided two assists, setting up Raphinha for his second goal and later teeing up Fermin Lopez for the team’s fourth. Lopez, who missed Spain’s World Cup triumph due to injury, later added his second of the match following an assist from youngster Xavi Espart to seal the 5-0 win.
Defensively, Eric Garcia provided stability at the back, while goalkeeper Joan Garcia kept a clean sheet despite occasional lapses in Flick’s high-line defensive structure. Midfielder Gavi also featured, drawing attention for his pink hair, which he wore to celebrate Spain’s recent tournament victory.
Addressing speculation regarding the club’s need for a new striker following the failed bid for Julian Alvarez, Raphinha remained focused on the pitch. “I’ll leave that to the president,” he said. “I am comfortable anywhere on the pitch.” Regarding the match, he added, “This is a difficult place to go and they’re a team that like to have the ball, but we did very well.”
Elche defender Victor Chust acknowledged the disparity in quality. “We were playing against a great team and you pay for your errors,” Chust noted. “It was a tough day, but I’ll take from it that the team didn’t stop running.” The report also notes that after watching Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid defeat Espanyol 2-1 with a late winner, Barca’s display warned the Portuguese coach that the Catalans will not relinquish the title easily. The report also notes that raphinha was cut down in the box by Victor Chust and stroked home the resulting penalty after 14 minutes to get Flick’s team on their way.
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