Barcelona have officially launched their bid to defend the La Liga title in emphatic fashion, thrashing Elche 5-0 in their opening match of the 2026/27 season on Sunday, August 23, at the Martínez Valero Stadium.
The commanding victory provided an early indication that the champions have no intention of surrendering the title they won last season without a fight.
Raphinha Leads the Attack
Barcelona opened the scoring in the 14th minute when captain Raphinha converted a penalty after Víctor Chust committed a foul inside the box.
The Brazilian forward continued to cause problems for Elche's defence and eventually finished the match with two goals and one assist.
Before half-time, Barcelona doubled their lead through Karim Adeyemi, who scored on his La Liga debut for the club. The goal gave the visitors a 2-0 advantage at the break.
Gordon Changes the Game, Fermín Finishes the Job
The second half saw Barcelona dominate further and showcase the quality of their squad. Coach Hansi Flick's substitutions paid off, particularly the introduction of Anthony Gordon, who provided two assists in quick succession.
Gordon set up Raphinha for Barcelona's third goal in the 67th minute before assisting Fermín López four minutes later to make it 4-0. López completed his impressive night with another goal in the 79th minute to seal the 5-0 victory.
Raphinha and Fermín therefore finished the match with two goals each, while Adeyemi contributed one goal in a victory that gave Barcelona an outstanding start to the new campaign.
Flick Begins Quest for a Third Consecutive Title
The victory gives Barcelona a confident start to their pursuit of a third consecutive La Liga title. The club finished the 2025/26 season as champions and opened the new campaign by demonstrating their strength despite not yet having their full squad at peak readiness.
The match also gave Flick an opportunity to test a system without a traditional central striker. Barcelona remained a constant threat through pace, high pressing and fluid movement among their forwards.
Gavi's Injury Clouds Victory
Despite the joy of the emphatic win, Barcelona were left concerned after Gavi was forced off before half-time with pain in his right knee.
He was replaced by Pedri, who helped provide greater stability in the second half. According to initial reports, the problem did not appear to be particularly serious, although an official assessment of the extent of his injury is still awaited.
