Barcelona extended their flawless start to the La Liga season with an emphatic 5-0 victory over Valencia at Mestalla, moving three points clear at the top of the table.
Hansi Flick’s side needed only five minutes to take control. Lamine Yamal timed his run behind Valencia’s defence and finished confidently after Fermin Lopez released him with a precise through ball.
Barcelona doubled their advantage through Lopez, who drove Anthony Gordon’s lay-off into the bottom-left corner. The midfielder has now scored four goals this season, while Gordon has supplied four assists across the opening four league matches.
The visitors maintained the pressure after the interval and quickly added a third. Lopez carried the ball forward from deep before creating the chance for Raphinha, who finished from close range for his sixth goal of the campaign and his 50th in La Liga.
Pedri then made it 4-0 after combining neatly with Dani Olmo, completing a quick one-two before guiding his finish beyond Stole Dimitrievski.
Olmo played a major role again for Barcelona’s fifth, weaving through the Valencia midfield before releasing Yamal, who scored his second of the afternoon and fourth goal of the season.
Lopez was central to Barcelona’s attacking dominance, contributing both a goal and an assist during a performance in which Valencia struggled to contain the visitors’ movement and pace.
The match also featured debuts for former Premier League players Harvey Elliott and Gabriel Jesus, who were introduced from the bench during the second half. Rodri, meanwhile, made his first Barcelona start following his £65m transfer from Manchester City.
Barcelona took full advantage of Real Madrid’s surprise defeat against Real Betis on Friday. Flick’s team now lead La Liga by three points after winning all four of their opening matches, scoring 17 goals and conceding only two.
Valencia remain rooted to the bottom of the table with one point from four games and only a single goal scored.
Discontent among the home supporters was also evident before the match. As part of a planned protest, a section of Valencia fans stayed outside Mestalla at kick-off before entering in the 19th minute, a reference to the club’s founding year of 1919.
Barcelona will next switch their focus to the Champions League, with Feyenoord visiting on Wednesday for their opening league-stage fixture. Valencia travel to Sevilla on Friday as they continue searching for their first victory of the season.