Barcelona make a statement by overwhelming Elche. Best Comunio / Sofascore players from the match.

Elche C.F.

Elche faced their second match after the 1-1 draw against Deportivo, while for the reigning champions it was a league debut even though the second matchday had already been played. Hansi Flick started without a pure centre-forward, with Raphinha as a mobile reference, supported by Lamine Yamal and Adeyemi. After the result, Barcelona have three points from their only game played, while Elche are left with one after two matchdays.

First half

Barcelona did not take long to find space behind the home defence. Lamine Yamal sent the first warning six minutes in, but he lifted his shot too high after cutting inside from the right. The 0-1 arrived shortly after. A Blaugrana recovery ended with Raphinha facing Víctor Chust inside the area; the centre-back arrived late, brought down the Brazilian, and the referee pointed to the spot. Raphinha himself took the penalty and scored in the 14th minute.

The goal did not completely knock Elche out of the contest. Martín Anselmi's side tried to play with a high line and found some arrivals, especially when they could get past the first press. Affengruber headed over after a corner and Ali Houary had another good chance after a through ball from Gonzalo Villar, although his finish went wide. The home problem was that every loss of the ball with the block pushed up left too much space for Barcelona's attack to run into.

The first half also brought a worrying piece of news for Flick. Gavi had to leave the pitch after taking a blow, and Pedri replaced him right on the stroke of half-time. Just when it looked like Elche would reach the dressing rooms only a goal down, a new transition punished their exit. Raphinha carried the ball and teed up Karim Adeyemi, who finished the one-on-one in the 45+3rd minute to make his official goalscoring debut for Barcelona.

Second half

Pedri's presence gave Barcelona more control to manage possession. Raphinha could have extended the gap as soon as they returned from the dressing rooms, but Dituro responded to his shot after a pass from Lamine. The match stayed at 0-2 until the move that finally broke it: in the 65th minute, Anthony Gordon and Dani Olmo came on for Lamine Yamal and Adeyemi.

Gordon needed practically his first intervention to justify the change. He attacked the space down the left and left Raphinha one-on-one with Dituro; the Brazilian crossed the ball to complete his brace in the 67th minute. Four minutes later, the Englishman again exploited the space behind a very high Elche defence and chose to set up Fermín López, who arrived unmarked to score the 0-4. Two assists in a minimal spell of play and an immediate impact from the bench.

Elche even had a small window to reduce the distance between the two goals: Facundo Buonanotte struck a shot against the post in the 69th minute and shortly after forced Joan García into action. They did not make the most of that moment, and Barcelona punished them again. In the 79th minute, Xavi Espart found Fermín inside the area and the Huelva native finished with his left foot to complete his brace and seal the 0-5. The stat sums up the difference in efficiency well: Barcelona converted five of their nine clear chances, while Elche failed to turn their three into goals.

Comunio / Sofascore standout players

20

Raphinha
23.330.000€+750.000€    10

J1

DL

12

For Barcelona, Raphinha was the fantasy name of the matchday: 20 Comunio points and a 9.8 on Sofascore. Two goals, one from the spot, an assist, and constant involvement in transitions explain an outstanding score. If Flick continues to use him freely from inside and near the area, he has a strong case to remain one of the team's premium pieces.

Very close was Fermín López, with 19 Comunio points and an 8.7. His brace reflects one of his biggest strengths for fantasy: the ease with which he attacks the area from second line. The two attacking signings also looked significantly boosted. Anthony Gordon added 11 points and a 7.8 despite starting on the bench thanks to his two assists, while Adeyemi reached 11 points and a 7.5 in his goalscoring debut.

There was notable output beyond the scorers. Eric García earned 9 Comunio points and a 7.9, while Xavi Espart also recorded 9 points, with a 7.6, capping his performance with the assist for the fifth goal. Those are especially interesting figures for players whose fantasy price may be far from that of the biggest attacking stars.

5

Ezequiel Ponce
1.310.000€+140.000€    -

J1

DL

00

For Elche, Ezequiel Ponce was the best-rated with 5 Comunio points and a 6.9 on Sofascore. He came on in the second half and brought attacking activity: he was involved in a Buonanotte chance and ended up forcing Joan García into a save in the closing stages. Lucas Cepeda, with 4 points and a 6.7, was another of the few Elche players who managed to finish the night with a notably positive rating.

The rout left several negative records for the franjiverde side. Buba Sangarè (-2, 5.0), David Affengruber (-2, 5.1), Federico Redondo (-2, 5.5) and Germán Valera (-2, 5.4) were particularly punished. Víctor Chust finished with -1 Comunio point and a 5.6; in his case, he also committed the penalty on Raphinha that opened the scoring. For managers with Elche defenders, the 0-5 makes for a tough day to absorb.

Match details

Result: Elche CF 0-5 FC Barcelona.

Goals: 0-1, Raphinha (14', penalty); 0-2, Adeyemi (45+3'); 0-3, Raphinha (67'); 0-4, Fermín López (71'); 0-5, Fermín López (79').

Stadium: Martínez Valero. Attendance: 30.704 spectators. Referee: Alejandro Quintero González.

Elche CF: Matías Dituro, Buba Sangarè, Federico Redondo, Marc Aguado, Germán Valera, Gonzalo Villar, Fer Niñ o, Tete Morente, David Affengruber, Víctor Chust and Ali Houary. Coach: Martín Anselmi.

FC Barcelona: Joan García, Gavi, Fermín López, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Karim Adeyemi, Andreas Christensen, Gerard Martín, Marc Bernal, Eric García and Xavi Espart. Coach: Hansi Flick.