Anthony Gordon enjoyed a memorable Barcelona debut, setting up two goals in just five minutes as the defending La Liga champions cruised to a 5-0 victory over Elche in their opening league fixture.
The England winger, who joined Barcelona from Newcastle United during the summer, came on for Lamine Yamal in the 65th minute. He made an immediate impact, finding captain Raphinha with a well-timed pass just two minutes after entering the game.
Gordon, 25, produced another decisive moment four minutes later. After breaking into the box, he squared the ball across goal for Fermin Lopez, who calmly finished into an empty net to put Barcelona 4-0 ahead.
The two assists marked a strong start for Gordon, who managed just two assists in 26 Premier League appearances for Newcastle during the 2025-26 season. However, he finished the campaign as the club’s leading scorer with 17 goals across all competitions.
Barcelona had taken control of the match in the 14th minute after Raphinha was brought down inside the penalty area by Victor Chust. The Brazilian stepped up and converted the resulting penalty, sending Elche goalkeeper Matias Dituro the wrong way.
Elche threatened at times during the opening half but could not find an equaliser. Barcelona extended their advantage shortly before the break when Karim Adeyemi, another summer arrival, raced through on goal after being played in by Raphinha and calmly finished past Dituro.
Adeyemi’s goal came shortly after Barcelona were forced to make a change in midfield, with Gavi going off injured and Pedri introduced as his replacement.
Yamal, who had earlier missed an opportunity by firing over the bar, was substituted for Gordon after the break. The former Newcastle star then played a major role in Barcelona’s third and fourth goals before Lopez completed the rout in the 79th minute.
The victory gives Hansi Flick’s side a winning start to their title defence, following Real Madrid’s opening-day victory over Espanyol on Saturday.
Barcelona’s next La Liga fixture will be against Athletic Bilbao on Thursday, August 27, with kick-off scheduled for 20:00 BST.
