Raphinha and Lopez score braces as Barcelona trounce Elche 5-0
Barcelona secured a dominant 5-0 victory over Elche in their La Liga season opener. New signings and key players contributed to the win, signaling a strong start to the team's title defense.
Why it matters
As a major European football club, Barcelona's performance in league openers is a significant indicator of their competitive standing for the season.
Barcelona begin their La Liga title defence and bid for a third successive crown with a 5-0 victory at Elche.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Raphinha scores Barcelona's first goal from a penalty [Jose Jordan/AFP] By Al Jazeera Staff and AFP Published On 23 Aug 2026 23 Aug 2026 Spanish champions Barcelona have cruised to a 5-0 win over Elche in their La Liga opener, with Raphinha and Fermin Lopez scoring twice each and Anthony Gordon setting up two goals on his debut.
After watching Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid defeat Espanyol 2-1 on Saturday with a late winner, Barca’s display on Sunday warned the Portuguese coach that the Catalans will not relinquish the title easily.
Karim Adeyemi also found the net on his debut as Barca made light work of a vulnerable Elche side at Martinez Valero Stadium.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in