Raphinha and Lopez score braces as Barcelona trounce Elche 5-0

Barcelona ‌begin their La Liga rubric ⁠defence ⁠and bid for a 3rd successive crown with a 5-0 ⁠victory astatine Elche.

Spanish champions Barcelona person cruised to a 5-0 triumph implicit Elche successful their La Liga opener, with Raphinha and Fermin Lopez scoring doubly each and Anthony Gordon mounting up 2 goals connected his debut.

After watching Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid defeat Espanyol 2-1 connected Saturday with a precocious winner, Barca’s show connected Sunday warned the Portuguese manager that the Catalans volition not relinquish the rubric easily.

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Karim Adeyemi besides recovered the nett connected his debut arsenic Barca made airy enactment of a susceptible Elche broadside astatine Martinez Valero Stadium.

Hansi Flick started with respective regular starters connected the seat arsenic they proceed to get up to velocity pursuing the World Cup.

Teenage winger Lamine Yamal, a cardinal portion of the triumphant World Cup Spain squad, did commencement connected the close but was acold from his best, though it did not substance fixed Barca’s different sparkling display.

Raphinha was chopped down successful the container by Victor Chust and stroked location the resulting punishment aft 14 minutes to get Flick’s squad connected their way.

Eric Garcia was crisp astatine the backmost to ward disconnected a threatening Elche attack, portion Barca’s Gavi caught the oculus successful midfield – admittedly much for his pinkish haircut to observe Spain’s triumph than for his performance.

Rapid winger Adeyemi, playing connected the left, started shakily but grew into the crippled and doubled Barca’s pb earlier the interruption aft Raphinha unselfishly acceptable him up.

In the 2nd half, erstwhile Newcastle United winger Gordon, connected arsenic a substitute, teed up Raphinha for his second, and past supplied Lopez for Barca’s 4th successful an electrical and awesome cameo.

Youngster Xavi Espart played successful Lopez, who endured a hard summertime aft missing Spain’s World Cup triumph done injury, for his 2nd to seal Barcelona’s comfy triumph.

Flick’s high-line defence showed the occasional motion of its accustomed frailty, but goalkeeper Joan Garcia did good erstwhile called connected to support a cleanable sheet.

Raphinha told reporters aft the crippled that “whether a crippled is casual oregon hard depends connected us.

“If we commencement playing astatine the maximum level, we’re apt to win. It was a precise pugnacious game, but we did our job.”