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Barcelona wasted no time firing up their bid for a historic treble, demolishing Elche 5–0 in their La Liga season opener on Sunday evening.
The reigning back-to-back Spanish champions fielded a somewhat experimental starting eleven at the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero and found it difficult to assert full dominance in the opening half, but once the floodgates burst open after the break, the goals flowed freely.
It was a sparkling debut from summer arrivals Karim Adeyemi and Anthony Gordon, and the Catalans have yet to unleash their most exciting acquisition onto the field: Rodri.
It may be too soon to say for certain, but the Blaugrana could well be on course to claim a third consecutive title come next spring.
Here are Sports Illustrated's key takeaways from Sunday's commanding victory.
Front Line Shake-Up for Barcelona—Do They Really Need a Striker?
Still lacking a genuine striker above the age of 18, Flick was forced to think outside the box with his attacking setup—and to his credit, Barcelona had no shortage of goals on Sunday night.
He deployed captain Raphinha in the No. 9 role, a position the natural winger seldom occupies. Raphinha handled the central berth admirably—converting from the penalty spot to break the deadlock in the 15th minute before threading a through-ball to Adeyemi for Barcelona's second. That said, the 29-year-old looked noticeably more at ease once shifted to the right wing, netting his second of the evening just two minutes after the second-half positional switch.
With Raphinha deployed centrally, Adeyemi got the nod from Flick to start on the left side. The 24-year-old German forward, whom Barcelona acquired from Borussia Dortmund for $25.1 million (€22 million) before add-ons, looked visibly anxious in the opening stages. He struggled to find his rhythm, finishing the night with just 58% pass accuracy (11 of 19 passes) and made questionable choices in the attacking third. His nerves were most apparent in one early moment when he broke clear on goal, only to inexplicably back-heel the ball to a non-existent teammate and surrender possession.
Adeyemi found his footing around the half-hour mark, however, and delivered a composed performance from that point on—particularly after finding the net just before the halftime whistle.
Lamine Yamal held his ground on the right flank but struggled to create meaningful opportunities. It mattered little, however, as Anthony Gordon came on in the 65th minute and immediately left his mark on the scoresheet.
The high-profile English signing, brought in from Newcastle United for a staggering $93.2 million (€80 million), is also a natural wide player. He stepped into the No. 9 role vacated by Raphinha and flourished there just the same. He set up the Brazilian's second goal, picking him out inside Elche's box less than three minutes after entering the pitch. He then added another assist barely five minutes later, unselfishly squaring the ball to an unmarked Fermín López for Barcelona's fourth of the night. López struck again in the 89th minute to round off a five-goal rout.
It was a genuine collective effort on Sunday, and given the—perhaps surprising—effectiveness of both Raphinha and Gordon in the false nine role, Barcelona may reconsider spending big on a traditional striker before the transfer window shuts on Sept. 1.
With Ferran Torres and Robert Lewandowski both gone and negotiations for Atlético Madrid's Julián Alvarez having broken down, it appeared the Catalans would be left with a glaring void up front. Sunday's scoreline paints a very different picture.
Barcelona Suffers Another Injury Blow to Midfield
Barça midfielder Gavi went down in the 44th minute with an injury, being helped off the pitch just before the break and replaced by Pedri. The pink-haired 22-year-old appeared to be holding his right knee as he limped gingerly off the field and headed straight down the tunnel to receive medical attention.
While the Blaugrana have ample midfield cover—Pedri put in a solid shift in the second half—the setback for Gavi is particularly worrying given the player's extensive injury history. The Spain international has been sidelined for roughly 20 months over the past three years, largely due to serious problems with the same knee.
He missed 11 months during the 2023–24 campaign with a right ACL and meniscus tear, and also sat out 46 matches last season—from late August through March—following another meniscus tear in his right knee that required arthroscopic surgery.
"The injury is to the knee. We have to wait," Flick said after the match. "It's a little better than he feared when it happened. After the game it was much better. We will do an MRI and see."
There is no definitive update on Gavi's condition; however, he was spotted walking around the pitch after the final whistle.
Barcelona are also awaiting news on two other midfielders: Frenkie de Jong and Rodri. De Jong is sidelined with a meniscus injury until early October, while World Cup winner Rodri, who underwent back surgery following the tournament, is expected to make his return as early as this week.