Barcelona's Perfect Start Survives Levante Scare
Barcelona walked out of Levante with three more points, a 4-2 scoreline, and a reminder that this new era under Hansi Flick is still very much a work in progress.
It was wild at times. It was open. It was not controlled in the way Flick demands. But it was five wins from five.
Goals galore, control in question
Lamine Yamal struck twice, Xavi Espart scored his first senior goal for the club, and Karim Adeyemi came off the bench to kill the game late on. Between those moments, though, Barça wobbled.
Levante found space, found belief, and twice found a way back into a contest that should have been buried much earlier. Barcelona’s defence looked porous, their structure loose, and Flick did not hide from that.
“We are happy because in the end we won 4-2. I think the goals we conceded came from mistakes we made, but for the first goal, I think the mistake was mine,” he admitted, pointing to a decision on the touchline rather than an error on the pitch.
Barcelona had planned to substitute Xavi Espart, who was struggling with cramps. Flick chose to wait.
“We wanted to substitute Xavi because he was having some cramps, and I said: ‘Okay, let’s wait until the next stoppage.’ Maybe if we had changed him at that moment, we would not have conceded that goal.”
The delay cost them. Levante pounced, and the game swung briefly towards the hosts.
Historic start, restless coach
This win matches Barcelona’s best-ever start to a season, and the numbers are brutal: 21 goals in five matches. Flick, though, refuses to get carried away.
“I am proud. I am proud of my team, and I am proud of the club. But in the end, this is only the beginning. I do not look too much at the numbers, because they also belong to the past.”
The attacking numbers thrill. The defensive details bother him just as much.
“Yes, of course, but also the way we defend is important. Normally, they pressed us very well today. I also think the pitch was not in the best condition. So it was not an easy match,” he said, underlining that the spectacle should not mask the flaws.
Asked if this was another warning about what happens when intensity drops, his answer was blunt: “If you do not give 100%, things like this happen.”
The message was clear. The scoreboard flatters. The standard, in his eyes, does not.
Espart arrives, Adeyemi reminds everyone
Amid the chaos, there were individual steps forward. None bigger than Xavi Espart’s.
The youngster took his chance, scored his first senior goal, and earned public praise from his coach.
“At the moment he is doing well. Technically he is good, tactically as well. And physically he is 100% ready and he is proving it. He is playing at a great level,” Flick said.
On the left flank, Karim Adeyemi delivered exactly what Barcelona needed when the game threatened to drift. His late strike, Barça’s fourth, ended the contest and showcased the raw talent that has long been talked up around him.
“No, I am not surprised, because when he is focused, he is a fantastic player. That is what he has to deliver,” Flick said.
“Especially with the fourth goal, he was fantastic. In that situation you can see that he has something special.”
Adeyemi did what Anthony Gordon could not on the night: turn promise into a decisive moment.
Flick backs Gordon to click
Gordon, so often an assist machine for Barça this season, had a quieter outing. No goal, no standout contribution in the final third, and yet Flick moved quickly to protect him.
“I think Anthony gives us a lot, especially when he receives the ball. He is always able to control it and then pass it to one of our players, and therefore keep possession,” he explained.
“Of course, as an attacker, when you have chances, you want to score. I hope he scores very soon, because that will also help him integrate completely. But I am happy with him, and I really appreciate what he gives us.”
The competition on the left is fierce. Adeyemi’s impact in Levante only sharpens that edge. Between them, they give Barça variety, depth, and different ways to hurt opponents.
For now, Flick has the luxury of choice. He can turn to one or the other without a drop in intensity, at least in theory.
What he cannot afford, as he made clear, is a drop in focus.
Barcelona leave Levante perfect on paper, flawed on the grass, and still chasing the version of themselves their coach insists is coming. How long before the performances start to match the results?
