Lamine Yamal struck twice for Barcelona as they demolished Valencia 5-0 on Sunday to maintain their 100% start in La Liga. The reigning champions moved three points clear at the top of La Liga after Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid lost 1-0 at Real Betis on Friday. Fermín López, Raphinha and Pedri were also on target for Hansi Flick’s swaggering visitors on a hot afternoon on Spain’s east coast.
Barcelona, the only team in the top flight to win their first four games, took control from the start to the upset of Valencia’s fans at a persistently bad-tempered Mestalla stadium. Nothing is perfect, you always can improve. If it’s perfect then you can stop working.” Lamine Yamal opened the scoring with a clever lofted finish in the sixth minute after Fermín dinked a superb ball over the top for the teenage star.
The 19-year-old slammed home at the near post for what he thought was Barca’s second goal but the goal was disallowed for a tight offside after a VAR review. Fermín netted the second with a crisp finish in the 22nd minute after former Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon teed him up. Barcelona suffered a blow when Eric García had to go off hurt midway through the first half after a collision with team-mate Rodri’s shoulder, on the midfielder’s first start since arriving this summer from Manchester City.
Lamine Yamal fired narrowly wide and Fermín struck the post as Flick’s side continued to dominate. Barca goalkeeper Joan García made a smart save to thwart Arnaut Danjuma at his near post before the break. Raphinha, starting again as the team’s centre-forward, tapped home his sixth goal of the season from close range after Fermín fed him.
Valencia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski saved from Rodri before Pedri netted Barcelona’s fourth after an exchange of passes with Dani Olmo. New arrival Gabriel Jesus came on for his Barca debut as a substitute in the final 10 minutes and sent a low effort just wide. Lamine Yamal stayed onside to collect another Olmo pass and put away Barca’s fifth.
Mainz had lost 4-0 at Hamburg last season, but this time round were in complete control from the start and took the lead on 19 minutes as Sheraldo Becker was played in on goal by Kaishu Sano and picked out the bottom corner. Becker then turned provider as his low cross was converted at the back post by Phillipp Mwene for a 2-0 halftime lead. Becker was again involved with the next goal as he set up Phillip Tietz to bundle the ball home.
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