FC Barcelona began their La Liga season with a 5-0 victory away against Elche on Sunday evening.
Raphinha and Fermin Lopez each scored twice, while new signing Karim Adeyemi marked his debut with a goal as Barcelona launched their campaign for a third consecutive Spanish league title.
The match was Barcelona's opening fixture of the domestic season, following the postponement of their round one game until August 27. Several players from the Catalan team required a three-week rest period after competing in an exhausting World Cup tournament.
The victory marked the beginning of Barcelona's era without former Polish national team captain Robert Lewandowski, who left the club to continue his career with Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire. Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was named in Barcelona's squad for the match but remained on the substitutes' bench.
First half goals
Elche had opened their season on August 17 with a 1-1 draw against Deportivo La Coruna, a match that featured former Motor Lublin player Bright Ede. Playing at home against Barcelona, Elche started boldly in the first half and tried to advance toward the visitors' goal. However, they lacked precision and decisiveness, failing to test Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia.
Barcelona took advantage of their chances despite fielding an experimental lineup. Raphinha opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 15th minute after being fouled inside the penalty area. Karim Adeyemi doubled the lead three minutes into first-half stoppage time, finishing off a combination play to score his debut goal for the club.
The only setback for the reigning Spanish champions in the first half was an injury to Gavi, who was forced off and replaced by Pedri.
Second half dominance
Barcelona controlled possession and dominated the tempo after the restart. Elche came close to a consolation goal when Tete Morente hit the post, but Barcelona continued to press their advantage.
Raphinha scored his second goal of the night in the 67th minute following a pass from former Newcastle United player Anthony Gordon. Four minutes later, Gordon provided his second assist of the match, setting up Fermin Lopez to finish a counter-attack for Barcelona's fourth goal.
Fermin Lopez completed the 5-0 win in the 79th minute with his second goal of the match. Barcelona will play their postponed first-round match against Athletic on August 27, while Elche travel to face Racing Santander on August 28.
