Barcelona produced a statement performance in LaLiga on Sunday, sweeping aside Elche 5-0 at the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero as Raphinha and Fermín López both scored twice.
Raphinha opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 14th minute before Karim Adeyemi marked his competitive Barcelona debut with a goal just before half-time. Raphinha struck again after the break, while Fermín completed the rout with two goals in eight minutes.
The result gave Hansi Flick’s side an emphatic start to their campaign and highlighted the attacking options available to Barcelona despite the club’s continued search for a specialist centre-forward.
Raphinha was central to almost everything Barcelona produced. The Brazil international won the penalty for the opening goal before converting it himself, then added a second goal in the 67th minute. He also provided the assist for Adeyemi’s first Barcelona goal.
Barcelona’s pressure caused problems for Elche throughout the match. Flick’s team repeatedly looked to recover possession high up the pitch and attack quickly once the ball was won, forcing the hosts into mistakes during their attempts to build from the back.
Elche showed an ambition to play their way through the pressure, but Barcelona’s intensity eventually proved too much. The visitors’ first goal followed a sequence in which their pressure disrupted the home defence, creating the opening Raphinha needed.
Adeyemi then doubled the advantage in first-half stoppage time. The Germany international, one of Barcelona’s new arrivals, finished after being supplied by Raphinha to give himself a dream start to his competitive career at the club.
Barcelona did not allow Elche back into the contest after the interval. Instead, the visitors increased the tempo and Raphinha struck again in the 67th minute.
Fermín then took over. The midfielder scored in the 71st minute before adding another eight minutes later to complete Barcelona’s five-goal display.
The performance was particularly significant given the changes to Barcelona’s attacking options. With established forwards no longer part of Flick’s plans, Raphinha has taken on greater responsibility, including a new leadership role as the club’s provisional first captain. Flick had also indicated before the match that Barcelona’s squad could still be strengthened, particularly in attack.
Adeyemi’s goal and the contributions from Raphinha and Fermín offered an early indication that Barcelona can generate goals through a more fluid attacking structure rather than relying exclusively on a traditional number nine.
The only major concern for Flick was an injury to Gavi, who was forced to leave the field. Barcelona otherwise maintained control and secured a clean sheet, with goalkeeper Joan García largely protected by a defence that restricted Elche’s opportunities.
For Elche, the defeat exposed the difficulty of maintaining an aggressive approach against a Barcelona side capable of turning turnovers into immediate attacking opportunities. Martín Anselmi’s team showed flashes of technical quality but could not withstand the visitors’ pressure once Barcelona established control.
Raphinha’s two goals, Adeyemi’s debut strike and Fermín’s late double ultimately turned the contest into a one-sided statement from the defending champions. Barcelona’s five-goal victory also provides Flick with early evidence that his side can remain dangerous even while the club continues to address the composition of its attack.
