Elche vs Barcelona: Yamal undercooked but hard-boiled Raphinha fires off Blaugrana’s title defence

Barcelona have started their 2026/27 LALIGA campaign in emphatic fashion, beating Elche 5-0 with goals from Raphinha, Karim Adeyemi, and Fermin Lopez.

Hansi Flick left a number of starters on the bench, but star forwards Lamine Yamal and Raphinha kept their places. While the Brazilian shone with a brace, Yamal looked far from fitness, reminiscent of his showing in the Gamper.

With the strong performances of Karim Adeyemi from the start and Anthony Gordon off the bench, Hansi Flick will feel confident in handing Yamal more rest to recover his fitness as they head into tougher ties.

Adeyemi found the net just before halftime to open his LALIGA account, while £70m arrival Anthony Gordon turned the game into a rout in the second half. Coming off the bench in the 64th minute, the 25-year-old English winger provided two assists within a blistering four-minute window.

Barcelona dominated the opening exchanges but required a penalty to get ahead. After being sent through by Fermín López, Raphinha was brought down in the box by Elche defender Víctor Chust. Raphinha calmly converted the resulting penalty into the low corner to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Deep into first-half stoppage time, Raphinha slipped a pass to Karim Adeyemi, who set himself and slotted a right-footed finish past Matías Dituro to double the advantage.

Barcelona did not slow their roll after the break, intensifying efforts. The onslaught in the second half was inspired by Gordon, who, shortly after his introduction, delivered an immediate impact, teeing up Raphinha to sweep home his second goal of the night.

Gordon struck again just four minutes later, finding Fermín López, who extended the lead to 4-0. In the 79th minute, academy full-back Xavi Espart joined the assist sheet, squaring the ball for Fermín to comfortably finish and cap off the 5-0 thrashing.

The victory sends a clear message to José Mourinho’s Real Madrid. By making light work of Elche, Barcelona reasserted themselves as title favourites.

Flick’s squad will look to build on this momentum when they return home to the Spotify Camp Nou to host Athletic Club on Thursday, August 27. Elche, meanwhile, face a tough task bouncing back as they prepare to travel to face Real Racing Club on August 28.