Barcelona defeats Elche 5-0 in league opener with Raphinha and Lopez braces
FC Barcelona opened its Spanish league campaign with a 5-0 away win against Elche, featuring two goals from Raphinha, two from Fermin Lopez, and a debut goal from Karim Adeyemi.
First-half breakthrough
FC Barcelona began its La Liga campaign on 23 August 2026 with a 5-0 away victory over Elche. The fixture was Barcelona's first league match following the departure of Polish forward Robert Lewandowski, who transferred to Chicago Fire in July 2026. German manager Hansi Flick named summer signing Karim Adeyemi in the starting lineup, while goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny remained on the substitutes' bench as Joan Garcia started in goal. Elche created early pressure, but Barcelona took the lead in the 14th minute after Victor Chust fouled Raphinha inside the penalty box. The Brazilian winger converted the penalty low into the right corner past Elche goalkeeper Matias Dituro. Shortly before the break, midfielder Gavi suffered an injury and signaled to the bench, prompting a substitution for Pedri in the 45th minute. In the third minute of first-half stoppage time, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha combined to set up Adeyemi, who controlled the ball in the box and scored his debut goal for the club.
Gordon impacts off the bench
Elche attempted to respond early in the second half, creating opportunities in transition against Barcelona's defensive line. In the 53rd minute, Elche forward Tete Morente struck a shot that deflected off the outside of the post. Barcelona regained control and introduced English winger Anthony Gordon and Spanish midfielder Dani Olmo in the 65th minute, replacing Yamal and Adeyemi. Gordon made an immediate impact two minutes after entering the pitch. In the 67th minute, the former Newcastle player delivered a pass to Raphinha, who converted one-on-one past Dituro to score his second goal of the match. Elche threatened almost immediately when substitute Facundo Buonanotte struck the woodwork, followed by a one-on-one save from Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia.
Lopez closes out the scoreline
Barcelona extended its lead in the 71st minute through another direct attack led by Gordon. The English international drove with the ball from the midfield circle before squaring a pass across the penalty area to Fermin Lopez, who finished into an open net. Lopez added his second goal in the 79th minute to make the score 5-0. Receiving a pass with his back to goal, the Spanish midfielder turned past an Elche defender and beat Dituro with a low strike at the near post. Flick made additional late substitutions in the 81st minute, bringing on Jules Kounde and Joao Cancelo for Marc Bernal and Raphinha, while Elche introduced Pedro Bigas. Match referee Alejandro Quintero Gonzalez issued a single yellow card during the contest, shown to Elche midfielder Ali Houary.
- Raphinha converts a penalty after being fouled by Victor Chust
- Gavi leaves the pitch due to injury and is replaced by Pedri
- Karim Adeyemi scores on his Barcelona debut from inside the penalty area
- Anthony Gordon and Dani Olmo enter as substitutes for Yamal and Adeyemi
- Raphinha scores his second goal following an assist from Anthony Gordon
- Fermin Lopez scores from an Anthony Gordon cross into an open net
- Fermin Lopez completes a brace with a strike at the near post
Squad transitions and upcoming fixtures
The 5-0 result gives Barcelona a winning start to the domestic season as the reigning Spanish league champions adjust their attacking structure without Lewandowski. Barcelona's opening fixture of the season against Athletic Bilbao had been scheduled for Thursday, making the trip to Elche the squad's first competitive outing. Flick's team returns home for that rescheduled contest on Thursday before continuing its early-season league schedule.
