Barcelona announced their return to top form in style, thrashing Valencia 6–0 in their first home outing of the new season at the Estadi Johan Cruyff.
Hansi Flick had to improvise with his lineup after a string of injuries and the decision to bench Raphinha for arriving late to training.
Even so, Barça’s attack, led by Ferran Torres alongside summer arrivals Marcus Rashford and Roony Bardghji, looked sharp from the start, forcing early saves from Julen Agirrezabala.
Persistence eventually broke Valencia’s resistance in the 29th minute. A piercing pass from Pau Cubarsí was cleverly flicked on by Ferran Torres into the path of Fermín López, who calmly slotted home the opener.
Despite dominating the half, the Catalans went into the break with only a one-goal advantage.
That narrow lead didn’t last long. Rashford made his first major contribution in a Barcelona shirt early in the second half, whipping in a cross that Raphinha, introduced after the restart, finished at the back post following a defensive mix-up.
Just two minutes later, Fermín doubled his tally with a thunderous strike from distance, leaving Agirrezabala no chance.
The floodgates had opened. Another Valencia error gifted Raphinha a second goal on the half-volley, before Dani Olmo teed up Robert Lewandowski to smash in Barça’s fifth.
The biggest roar of the night, however, came when academy product Marc Bernal stepped onto the pitch, his first appearance since an ACL injury sidelined him for more than a year.
In a fairytale return, Bernal marked the occasion with an assist for Lewandowski, who rounded off the scoring with his second of the evening.
With three braces on the night and a flawless display across the pitch, Barcelona sent a clear message of intent. Confidence will be sky-high as Flick’s men now turn their attention to Thursday’s Champions League clash with Newcastle United.
