Barcelona opened their La Liga campaign with a convincing 4-2 victory over Levante at the Ciutat de València on Saturday evening. The visitors took control early, scoring within the first hour, but the hosts showed resilience by pulling two goals back in the second half. It was a match that tested Barcelona's concentration to the limit, and by then you could see why we predicted their win — six straight victories in all competitions had them in full flow.
Xavi Espart gave Barcelona the lead in the fifth minute, a sharp finish that caught Levante's defence off guard. Lamine Yamal doubled the advantage just before the quarter-hour mark, cutting inside before firing past the goalkeeper. Levante responded with pressure of their own, and Daniel Requena Sánchez saw a penalty appeal turned down by VAR in the twenty-ninth minute. To be fair, the decision stood, and the hosts had to settle for a goal kick.
The half ended with both sides making changes. Gerard Martín came off in injury time, only to pick up a yellow card moments later, while Hugo Sotelo joined him in the booking book. Barcelona led 2-0 at the break, but the game was far from over. And here's the thing — Levante's work rate in midfield suggested they would not disappear quietly.
Lamine Yamal added a second goal from the spot in the forty-eighth minute, converting the penalty with composure. That should have closed the game out, but Levante refused to concede defeat. Iván Romero pulled one back in the seventy-ninth minute, and Roger Brugué levelled the score eight minutes later. Suddenly the visitors were under pressure, stretched the back line, and had to defend with urgency.
Karim Adeyemi restored Barcelona's lead in stoppage time, and the result stood at 4-2. The home side had created plenty — five big chances, twenty-two crosses, twenty-one dribbles — but they could not find the net when it mattered most. Barcelona, meanwhile, were reduced to ten men at times but held firm. The crowd roared them on, but the visitors had already done enough.
Statistic-wise, Barcelona dominated possession at 75 per cent and completed 780 passes compared to Levante's 245. The visitors registered six shots on target and two expected goals, while Levante managed seven shots on target with 2.42 expected goals. Many shots with two goals means chances went begging, and that is what happened here. Levante worked hard but could not convert their opportunities.
The result keeps Barcelona top of the table with eighteen points from six games, a perfect start to the season. Levante remain in fourteenth place with five points after five matches, though this defeat leaves them with questions to answer. The line has barely moved for the hosts, and one mistake ends it when you are playing against a side in this form. Barcelona showed they can win ugly — and that is often more valuable than winning beautifully.