Barcelona beat Levante as Yamal scores twice to maintain perfect start

Barcelona extended their perfect start to the season with a 4-2 win over Levante in Valencia on Sunday. The visitors took an early lead through 19-year-old Xavi Espart, and further goals from Lamine Yamal and a stoppage-time finish from Karim Adeyemi sealed the victory. The result leaves Barcelona top of La Liga with five wins from five, three points clear of Real Madrid.

Espart opened the scoring after five minutes with a low finish following a slick one-touch move, his first senior goal. Barcelona then doubled their lead in the 19th minute when Raphinha controlled Fermín López’s through ball and set up an unmarked Lamine Yamal for an easy finish.

Levante rallied in the second half and briefly threatened a comeback. Yamal converted a penalty 42 seconds after the restart — awarded after Aïssa Mandi fouled him — to make it 3-0, but Levante reduced the deficit when Ivan Romero finished after an errant pass from Espart in the 79th minute and Roger Brugue cut the gap further nine minutes later. Levante had earlier ended the first half with six attempts to Barcelona’s three and came close on the hour when Victor García’s shot was kept out by a partial block from Pau Cubarsí and a goal-line clearance by Andreas Christensen.

Barcelona held on as Adeyemi’s mazy run and composed finish in the 93rd minute ended Levante’s hopes of a late equaliser. Manager Hansi Flick made a halftime change when Gerard Piqué (reported as limping) was withdrawn and replaced by Christensen. The match report highlighted Rodri’s assured midfield display and captain Raphinha’s relentless running as central to Barcelona’s success.