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Barcelona began their La Liga title defence in emphatic fashion, cruising to a 5-0 victory over Elche at the Estadio Manuel MartÃnez Valero on Sunday.
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Raphinha was at the centre of Barcelona’s attacking display, scoring twice after converting an early penalty and adding another goal in the second half.
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Anthony Gordon made a memorable first appearance for Barcelona after coming off the bench, registering two assists within a remarkable five-minute spell.
August 24, (THEWILL) — Barcelona have started their La Liga title defence in style after a ruthless 5-0 victory over Elche, with new signing Anthony Gordon providing a glimpse of what he could offer the Spanish champions.
Hansi Flick’s side took control of the contest at the Estadio Manuel MartÃnez Valero and gradually turned their superiority into a comprehensive victory, scoring twice before the break and adding three more goals in the second half.
Raphinha opened the scoring after just 14 minutes when Elche defender Victor Chust brought him down inside the penalty area.
The Brazilian winger stepped up and confidently sent the goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot.
Elche showed some attacking intent after falling behind and occasionally caused problems for the Barcelona defence, but the hosts could not find a way through.
Barcelona eventually doubled their advantage just before half-time. Raphinha played a decisive pass into the path of Karim Adeyemi, who kept his composure to beat Matias Dituro and score on his first appearance for the Catalan club.
The visitors returned from the interval with the same attacking intensity, and Gordon was soon introduced as Flick looked to freshen up his attack.
The England international replaced Lamine Yamal in the 65th minute and wasted little time making an impact.
Just two minutes after entering the game, Gordon created space before finding Raphinha, who finished the move to register his second goal of the night and put Barcelona firmly in control.
Gordon was involved again shortly afterwards. The former Newcastle player drove into a dangerous position before cutting the ball back for FermÃn López, who took advantage of the opportunity to make it 4-0.
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López then completed his own brace eight minutes from time, ensuring Barcelona finished the evening with five goals.
The result gives Flick’s team an ideal beginning to their campaign as they attempt to retain the Spanish title. Barcelona’s victory also matches the winning start made by Real Madrid, who claimed three points against Espanyol on Saturday.
For Gordon, the performance represents an encouraging beginning to his Barcelona career. Having joined the club from Newcastle during the summer, he needed only a short spell on the pitch to directly contribute to two goals.
The 25-year-old’s immediate influence will provide further excitement among Barcelona supporters, particularly after his limited assist return for Newcastle last season.
Barcelona’s attention now turns to their next league assignment, when they host Athletic Bilbao on Thursday, 27 August.
Olumide Atiba is a sports journalist with THEWILL, known for his keen news sense and compelling storytelling. He has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, well-structured reports that resonate with readers, with a strong focus on football coverage
