An encouraging Barça begins the defense of the title with a 'handful'

BarcelonaWithout a center forward, but with an inspired Raphinha and a Fermín who can do anything. Without Balde, whom the club is pushing towards the exit, nor Cancelo, who has just arrived, but with a colossal Espart. Without Rodri, but with a Bernal who ensures the present and, above all, the future. Without many new faces in the starting eleven, but with an Adeyemi willing to show Hansi Flick that he did well by signing him. As Gordon would later do, author of two assists coming off the bench. With all these ingredients, Barça started the championship in a very encouraging way (0-5) against an Elche that did not manage to trouble the Catalan team at any moment. Only Gavi's injury, who left the field before the break touching his right knee which has bothered him so much in the last two seasons, marred an efficient victory.

The Blaugrana, still at pre-season pace, did not need to play a great game to earn the first three points in the defense of the League title. The Catalan team had enough with the flashes of their most talented footballers to subdue Elche at the Martínez Valero. On the same day that Julián was booed by his own fans at the Metropolitano, Raphinha took on the responsibility of being the spearhead of a Blaugrana attack orphaned of Lewandowski and Ferran.

The Brazilian continued with the preseason trend and once again found the net from the penalty spot. Fermín connected with Raphinha, who, inside the box, made a good cut to get past Víctor Chust. The Valencian defender completely fell for the feint and committed a clear penalty. From eleven meters, with a shot close to the goalkeeper's left post, the Barça captain changed the score. He celebrated by pretending to shoot a spider web like Spiderman, just as he had promised his son Gael.

As is normal at the start of the season, and even more so after a minimal preseason for many of the players who participated in the World Cup, Barça gradually dropped their high press and intensity as the minutes passed, and Elche wanted to take advantage of it. The first great opportunity for the locals would be saved by Eric, an undisputed right-back for a Flick who benched Kounde and ceded the left flank to Espart. The center-back from Martorell, always attentive, appeared providentially to block the shot from Fer Niño when he was all alone in front of Joan.

Gavi gets injured

Shortly after, Hounary would try again, but would fail to connect with the ball after a great pass from Gonzalo Villar, the player with the best foot in the Illicit team since the departure of Lleida's Aleix Febas to Celta. The Valencians tried to press a little, but never made a well-governed Barça by Bernal suffer. It seemed that the break would be reached without much else happening at the Martínez Valero, but the scriptwriter of the match had two more surprises prepared for the blaugranes. One hot and one very cold.

The worst news of the match would arrive first. At the end of the first half and after a dispute for a ball with Villar, Gavi had enough. He got up touching his right knee, the cursed right knee, and asked to be substituted. We will have to wait for the tests that will be done at the Ciutat Esportiva this Monday. Pedri came on in his place. The Andalusian, precisely, had started to relieve minutes for the Canary Islander, who is being watched very closely by Barça's doctors. With Pedri already on the pitch, Adeyemi scored the second goal with a good shot from the edge of the box after a pass from Raphinha.

Gordon's double assist

The Blaugranes went into halftime with things looking good for them after putting on a display of effectiveness. In the second half, Elche tried to get back into the game, but they would once again be met with a goal against them from Raphinha. The home team pushed up their lines and the Blaugranes punished them on the counter-attack. Raphinha, who usually doesn't miss when he has space in front of him, sealed his great performance as a false nine by finishing the match on the counter.

The Valencians would respond with a timid approach in the form of a shot off the post by Buonanotte, but it would be nothing more than an anecdote because Barça, far from being intimidated, ended up sweeping them away with sharp counter-attacks. Gordon, who had already assisted Raphinha for the Catalans' third goal, was very generous, gifting an empty-net goal to Fermín. The Andalusian would put the icing on the cake with a spectacular goal. This time, from a pass by Xavi Espart, the dazzling number 7 Blaugrana executed a delightful half-turn on the edge of the box and scored his brace. A rout to remember who the champion is. Hansi Flick's Barça makes a grand debut.