Barcelona began their 2026/27 La Liga campaign in commanding fashion after sweeping aside Elche 5-0 at the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero.
The defending champions wasted little time in taking control of the contest, with Raphinha opening the scoring from the penalty spot in the 14th minute. The Brazilian remained a constant threat to the Elche defence as Barcelona dominated possession and pushed aggressively for a second goal.
Karim Adeyemi doubled Barcelona’s advantage in first-half stoppage time, giving Hansi Flick’s side a comfortable 2-0 lead heading into the break. The first half, however, was not without concern for the visitors as midfielder Gavi was forced off after suffering a knock to his right leg, with further medical assessment expected to determine the extent of the injury.
Barcelona showed no signs of slowing down after the interval as Raphinha struck again in the 67th minute to complete his brace and put the contest beyond Elche. Fermín López then took centre stage, scoring twice in the space of eight minutes, in the 71st and 79th minutes, to complete the five-goal demolition.
Elche struggled to cope with Barcelona’s pace, movement and attacking pressure throughout the match and were unable to find a response against a side determined to begin its title defence with authority. The result was particularly impressive considering Barcelona entered the fixture with limited preparation following the World Cup and had their scheduled opening league match against Athletic Club moved to August 27.
For Hansi Flick, the emphatic victory represents an ideal start to Barcelona’s pursuit of a third consecutive La Liga title. With Raphinha producing two goals and Fermín López adding another two, the champions sent an early warning to their domestic rivals that despite a demanding summer, their attacking firepower remains intact.
Barcelona now turn their attention to Athletic Club at the Spotify Camp Nou on Thursday, August 27, while Elche will need to quickly recover from a difficult evening in which the champions proved simply too strong.