Barcelona continued their perfect start to the season with a commanding 5-0 victory over Valencia at Mestalla on Monday, extending their winning streak and moving three points clear at the top of La Liga.
Barcelona needed just five minutes to break the deadlock. Lamine Yamal found the net after receiving a superb through ball from Fermin Lopez, giving the visitors an early lead.
Lopez then doubled Barcelona’s advantage himself. The midfielder fired a powerful shot into the bottom-left corner after being set up by Anthony Gordon. It was Lopez’s fourth goal in as many league matches this season, while Gordon registered his fourth assist.
Barcelona maintained their attacking intensity after the break, with Raphinha scoring the team’s third goal through a close-range finish. The goal was also his sixth of the season.
Raphinha later reached a personal milestone, scoring his 50th goal in Spain’s top flight, after a strong run and pass from Lopez.
Barcelona added a fourth when Lopez combined with Pedri and Dani Olmo in a series of quick passes before finishing the move. Olmo then played Yamal through for the youngster’s second goal of the match and fourth of the season, completing the rout.
The match also saw the Barcelona debuts of former Premier League stars Harvey Elliott and Gabriel Jesus, who came on as second-half substitutes. Rodri, who joined Barcelona from Manchester City for £65 million, made his first start for the club.
The victory allowed Barcelona to capitalize on Real Madrid’s surprise defeat to Real Betis on Friday. After four matches, Barcelona have scored an impressive 17 goals while conceding just two.
Valencia, meanwhile, remain rooted near the bottom of the table. They have managed only one goal and one point from their opening four matches.
There were signs of growing frustration among the home supporters at Mestalla. Some Valencia fans deliberately arrived late as part of a planned protest, taking their seats in the 19th minute—a reference to the club’s founding year, 1919.
COMMENTS