Barcelona maintained their flawless start to the La Liga campaign, securing a 4-2 away victory over Levante on Sunday evening at the Ciutat de València on Matchday 5.
Lamine Yamal scored another brace, while Xavi Espart opened the scoring and substitute Karim Adeyemi wrapped up the tally for the Catalan club, who sealed their fifth consecutive league win.
Barcelona Surge Ahead Before Withstanding Levante Comeback
Barcelona required just five minutes to open the scoring when Espart penetrated the penalty area following a pass from Raphinha, slotting a low right-footed effort into the bottom left corner past goalkeeper Mathew Ryan.
Yamal added the second goal in the 19th minute after Raphinha rounded the keeper to set up his teammate, allowing the Spanish winger to fire a powerful strike from inside the box. Yamal struck again in the 48th minute, converting a penalty to score his second of the match and Barcelona’s third.
Levante refused to surrender as substitute Iván Romero pulled a goal back in the 79th minute, before Roger Brugué added a second for the hosts in the 88th minute. However, Adeyemi extinguished any remaining hopes of a comeback by scoring Barcelona’s fourth goal in the third minute of stoppage time (90+3′).
Milestones for Yamal, Raphinha, and Xavi Espart
Lamine Yamal became only the second player in the 21st century to score three braces across his team’s opening five matches of a La Liga season, matching Lionel Messi’s record set with Barcelona during the 2012–2013 campaign.
Raphinha reached nine direct goal contributions in the current La Liga campaign—comprising six goals and three assists—marking the best tally by a Barcelona player through the opening five league matches since Messi contributed to ten goals during the 2017–2018 season.
At 19 years and 115 days old, Xavi Espart became the second-youngest defender to score for Barcelona in a La Liga match this century, trailing only Pau Cubarsí, who scored against Girona in February 2026 at 19 years and 25 days old.
Barcelona Standings and Schedule Prior to International Break
Barcelona consolidated their position atop the La Liga standings with maximum points, gathering 15 points from five consecutive victories—holding a three-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid—while raising their goal tally to 21 goals scored against four conceded.
Hansi Flick’s side host Racing Santander on Wednesday, September 16, before visiting Sevilla at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium on Saturday, September 19, in their final fixture before the international break.
