Barcelona just absolutely wrecked Elche, dropping a massive 5-0 victory in their La Liga opener on Sunday. This wasn’t some quiet win; it was a statement. Raphinha and Fermin Lopez each bagged two goals, with newcomer Anthony Gordon dropping two sick assists on his debut. Talk about making an entrance!
Barca Means Business With Goal Fest
Forget easing into the season, Hansi Flick’s squad came out swinging. They watched Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid snatch a late 2-1 win over Espanyol the day before, and Barca responded with a loud message: they are not giving up their Liga title easily. Karim Adeyemi even found the back of the net on his debut, making light work of Elche at the Martinez Valero stadium. Flick even kept some regular starters on the bench, giving them more time to get up to speed after the World Cup grind. Young phenom Lamine Yamal, a huge part of Spain’s World Cup win, started but wasn’t at his peak, and it just did not matter with how sharp everyone else looked. Flick was stoked, telling reporters, “Five goals against this team is good, Elche play fantastic football. We are really happy that we won 5-0, three points, this is a fantastic start for us. It give us the confidence we need for the next matches.” Raphinha, stepping up as the number nine after Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres moved on, was electric. He hit a penalty early after Victor Chust cut him down, and then unselfishly set up Adeyemi before halftime. Gordon, coming off the bench, supplied Raphinha for his second and then Lopez for Barca’s fourth. Xavi Espart found Lopez for his second, capping off a comfortable triumph. Lopez himself said he was “really excited to start the season well” after a tough summer missing Spain’s World Cup run due to injury. While Flick’s high-line defense had a few shaky moments, goalie Joan Garcia was solid, securing the clean sheet.
Atletico Scrambles for a Draw, Alvarez Booed
Meanwhile, in the capital, things were a bit more dramatic for Atletico Madrid. They somehow salvaged a 2-2 draw against Villarreal after a wild game where defender Robin Le Normand got sent off. Villarreal put themselves in front with penalties from Gerard Moreno and Georges Mikautadze, plus a 59th-minute opener from Marc Pubill. Giuliano Simeone managed to grab Atletico’s second goal to pull out the draw. Coach Diego Simeone brought Julian Alvarez on as a second-half sub, but the home crowd booed him relentlessly. Alvarez ended up walking down the tunnel by himself at the end of the game, while his teammates were out thanking the fans. Diego Simeone tried to defuse it, saying, “It wasn’t Julian’s decision, it was a decision from the club.”
What a wild weekend to kick off La Liga! Barcelona looks like they are picking up right where they left off, confident and scoring at will. Atletico, though, has some serious questions to answer, especially with the fan reaction to Alvarez. It is going to be a fascinating season to watch unfold.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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