Barcelona beat Elche as Raphinha, Lopez each net braces

Barcelona opened their La Liga campaign with a dominant 4-0 victory over Elche at the Martinez Valero stadium, thanks to two goals each from Raphinha and Lopez. The Brazilian forward opened the scoring from the penalty spot after being fouled by Victor Chust, and the pair combined with new signing Karim Adeyemi to seal the win before the break.

The result matters because it signals that the Catalan giants are already firing on all cylinders under new manager Hansi Flick. After a shaky start to the season and the departure of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, the team needed a clear statement of intent, especially with rivals such as Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid still hunting the title.

Match report

Early pressure from Elche was quickly neutralised when Raphinha was brought down inside the box and calmly slotted the resulting penalty after 14 minutes. Eric Garcia and Gavi helped keep the opposition at bay, while Karim Adeyemi grew into the game, finishing a neat move to double the lead just before halftime.

In the second half, former Newcastle United winger Gordon came off the bench to provide the assist for Raphinha's second strike, and later set up Lopez for his second goal, completing the brace. Youngster Xavi Espart also featured, giving Lopez space to finish.

This is a difficult place to go and they're a team that like to have the ball, but we did very well,

Said Raphinha in a post‑match interview with Movistar. When asked whether Barcelona still needed a traditional number nine, he replied, "I'll leave that to the president," indicating confidence in his own versatility.

What the result means for Barcelona

The win not only restores confidence after a recent loss to Real Madrid under Jose Mourinho, but also demonstrates that Flick's high‑line defence can hold up against a motivated opponent. Goalkeeper Joan Garcia kept a clean sheet, and the team’s fluid attacking play suggests they can compete for the title despite the summer turnover.

Looking ahead, the club will likely accelerate its search for a permanent striker, having already been rebuffed by Julian Alvarez. The next fixtures will test whether the early momentum can be sustained against tougher opposition.

Overall, the comprehensive victory sets a positive tone for the season and gives supporters a glimpse of the attacking football they hope to see throughout the campaign.