Barcelona defeat Levante 4-2 to secure fifth straight LaLiga victory

Early dominance and opening strikes

Barcelona established early control at the Ciutat de Valencia, holding 74% of possession and generating 11 shots over the match. The visitors opened the scoring in the fifth minute when academy left-back Xavi Espart collected a pass from Raphinha outside the penalty area and fired past Mathew Ryan. The sequence developed after one minute and 15 seconds of continuous passing involving all ten outfield players. In the 19th minute, Pau Cubarsí broke through the home press to find Fermín López, who released Raphinha down the wing. Raphinha squared the ball across the box for Lamine Yamal to convert into an empty net and double the lead.

Yamal brace and Flick's youth setup

Lamine Yamal extended Barcelona's advantage to 3-0 in the 48th minute, converting a penalty kick that he earned himself shortly after the restart. The strike marked his sixth goal of the league campaign and his third consecutive double in domestic competition, drawing him level with Raphinha, Kylian Mbappé, and Sergio Camello atop the league scoring chart. Manager Hansi Flick made six rotations following European competition, giving Espart his fifth consecutive league start on the left defensive flank ahead of João Cancelo. Flick praised the young defender's versatility before confirming his starting role.

“When I see Xavi play I really like his confidence with the ball. He reminds me of Philipp Lahm, as he can play as a '6' or a '2'. I like watching him with the ball and without it. I am very satisfied with what I see, even somewhat surprised.”

Levante response and second-half pressure

Levante, who entered the contest unbeaten at home since 18 February 2026, intensified their pressure as Barcelona lost rhythm in the second half. Barcelona had altered their backline at halftime, replacing Gerard Martín with Andreas Christensen after Martín sustained a facial cut from a collision with Víctor García. In the 79th minute, a misplaced pass from Espart towards Christensen allowed substitute Iván Romero to intercept and score past Joan García. Levante narrowed the deficit further in the 88th minute when Roger Brugué drove forward and placed a shot into the net to make the score 2-3.

Stoppage-time decider and league outlook

Barcelona withstood the late surge before sealing the result in the 93rd minute of added time. Substitute Marc Bernal intercepted the ball and fed Karim Adeyemi, who carried possession on a 30-meter run before scoring the fourth goal for the visitors. Defender Eric García commented after the final whistle on the demands placed on the squad.

“The coach is showing his confidence in Espart. We are very happy with him. He has to keep working. Nobody can fall asleep because there is a lot of competition in the team.”

The 4-2 win keeps Barcelona at the top of the LaLiga table with a perfect tally of 15 points and 22 goals scored through five fixtures. Luís Castro's Levante remain in 13th place with five points from five matches. Barcelona will next host Racing de Santander on Wednesday, while Levante prepare to host Athletic Club in midweek action.

Lamine Yamal6

Raphinha6

Kylian Mbappé6

Sergio Camello6

Lamine Yamal

6 goals

Raphinha

6 goals

Kylian Mbappé

6 goals

Sergio Camello

6 goals

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