Barcelona have made a statement on their La Liga title defence, cruising to a 5–0 victory over Elche at the Martínez Valero.
Hansi Flick's side produced a dominant display in their league opener, with Raphinha and Fermín López both scoring braces, while new signing Karim Adeyemi marked his competitive debut for the club with a goal.
The result gives Barcelona an emphatic start as they target a third consecutive La Liga title.
Raphinha Leads Barcelona's Charge
Raphinha opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 14th minute after Barcelona were awarded a spot-kick.
The Brazilian was at the heart of Barça's attacking play throughout the match and doubled his tally in the second half.
After Anthony Gordon came off the bench, the England international quickly made an impact, setting up Raphinha for Barcelona's third goal in the 67th minute.
Raphinha's two goals and overall attacking influence made him one of the standout performers on a night when Barcelona's forward line repeatedly caused problems for Elche.
Adeyemi Scores on Barcelona Debut
Barcelona's second goal came just before half-time, with Karim Adeyemi finding the net on his first official appearance for the club.
The German forward finished after receiving a pass from Raphinha, giving Barça a comfortable 2–0 lead heading into the break.
It was an ideal competitive debut for Adeyemi, who immediately introduced himself to Barcelona supporters with a goal.
Fermín López Completes the Rout
Fermín López then took over in the final stages.
The midfielder scored twice in quick succession, finding the net in the 71st and 79th minutes to complete Barcelona's five-goal victory.
Gordon was again involved, providing his second assist of the evening as Barcelona continued to expose Elche's defence.
The Englishman's two assists made an impressive first competitive appearance for his new club.
Barcelona Send an Early Warning
The 5–0 victory is exactly the kind of start Flick would have wanted.
Barcelona were clinical in front of goal, kept a clean sheet and showed that they have plenty of attacking options despite entering the campaign without a traditional centre-forward.
Raphinha finished with two goals and an assist, Fermín added two goals, Gordon supplied two assists and Adeyemi scored on his debut.
For a team aiming to retain the La Liga crown, it was an emphatic opening statement.
Elche 0–5 Barcelona.
Five goals, a clean sheet and three points to begin the title defence.