Barcelona began their league season with a back four that had Xavi Espart at left back, no Alejandro Balde in the squad at all and Jules Koundé on the bench, and a midfield pivot whose two players are 19 and 22. They won 5-0 at the Martínez Valero and did not concede.
The penalty set the tone
On 14 minutes Elche lost the ball in their own half, Fermín López moved it immediately to Raphinha, and Víctor Chust brought him down inside the area. Raphinha scored the penalty himself. Elche had been the more comfortable side for ten minutes before that and never were again.
Adeyemi's debut goal changed the half
At 1-0 this was still a containable evening for Elche. Karim Adeyemi ended that in the third minute of first-half stoppage time, scoring on his La Liga debut to make it 2-0 at the break. A one goal deficit at half time is a match. Two, away to this Barcelona, is a long second half.
The bench finished it in twelve minutes
Hansi Flick sent on Anthony Gordon and Dani Olmo together on 65. Raphinha scored his second on 67, Fermín got the third on 71 from Gordon's pass out of deep, and Fermín scored again on 79. Three goals in twelve minutes, every one of them after the substitutions, and Gordon had an assist on his Barcelona debut inside six minutes of coming on.
The eleven says more than the scoreline
Balde was left out of the squad entirely with his future unresolved, João Cancelo was not fit to start and appeared only on 80, and Koundé waited until then too. That left Eric García at right back, Andreas Christensen and Gerard Martín inside, and Espart at left back, in front of Joan García, who had to make saves, Fer Niño among those he denied. Marc Bernal and Gavi held midfield between them.
A defence assembled from what was available keeping a clean sheet away from home is the part of this Flick will say least about and value most.
Gavi is the one worry
He went down holding his knee and was replaced by Pedri at half time. Given what his last three years have looked like, that is the only line in tonight's report that matters beyond the result, and there was no word on its severity afterwards.
This was matchday 2. Barcelona's actual opener, the rearranged matchday 1 against Athletic Club, is at home on Thursday. Five goals, a clean sheet, a debut goal, a debut assist and one knee to worry about, all before the season formally starts for them.
