Barcelona's Thrilling 4-2 Victory Over Levante

Barcelona’s perfect start to the season survived a serious scare in Valencia, a wild 4-2 win at Levante showcasing both their ruthless edge and the fragility that still bothers Hansi Flick.

It was breathless, chaotic, and at times unrecognisable from the controlled football the German coach demands. The scoreline flatters the attack. The performance told a more complicated story.

Flick wins again, but not on his terms

Two goals from Lamine Yamal, plus strikes from Xavi Espart and Karim Adeyemi, dragged Barça to a fifth straight victory. Five wins, 21 goals, and a place alongside the club’s best-ever starts. On paper, it looks emphatic.

Flick was having none of the self-congratulation.

“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 the finger at himself before anyone else.

The turning point, in his eyes, was a substitution that never came.

“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.”

That hesitation opened the door. Levante walked through it. Barcelona’s defence, already looking porous, paid the price.

Flick knows the numbers are impressive. He simply refuses to be seduced by them.

“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 message is clear: 21 goals in five games is nice. It is not the standard he wants to be judged on.

Goals flowing, doubts lingering

Barcelona’s attack bailed them out again. Yamal’s brace underlined his growing status as a match-winner, while Espart and Adeyemi added the kind of depth and variety Flick will need as the season stretches on.

But the coach circled back to the other side of the ball.

“Yes, of course, but also the way we defend is important,” he said when asked about the scoring run. “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.”

Levante’s intensity rattled Barça, their press disrupting build-up and exposing a back line that never looked entirely settled. Flick didn’t hide behind excuses.

“If you do not give 100%, things like this happen.”

The warning could not be sharper. The margin for dropping intensity, even briefly, is slim.

Espart arrives, Adeyemi explodes

While the defence creaked, two attacking cameos lit up the night.

Xavi Espart’s first senior goal for Barça arrived in a performance that earned instant 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.

There was no surprise in his voice when he spoke about Adeyemi either, just expectation.

“No, I am not surprised, because when he is focused, he is a fantastic player. That is what he has to deliver.”

Adeyemi’s late strike, Barça’s fourth, felt like a release — and a reminder.

“Especially with the fourth goal, he was fantastic. In that situation you can see that he has something special.”

Where Levante had briefly threatened a comeback, Adeyemi slammed the door shut. That is precisely the version of him Flick wants every week.

Gordon backed despite quiet night

On the opposite flank, Anthony Gordon endured a quieter, more frustrating evening. No goal, no standout moment, and yet no hint of doubt from his coach.

“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,” Flick said.

Gordon has been piling up assists this season, but this was not his sharpest outing. Flick still sees the value beyond the numbers.

“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 left wing now feels like a rotating duel of styles: Gordon the connector, Adeyemi the chaos-bringer. Both will matter. Both will be needed.

A perfect record with obvious flaws

Barcelona walk away from Levante with three more points, five wins from five, and the sense that their squad depth is starting to bite. When starters fade, others step in and decide games. Espart did it. Adeyemi did it. The bench looks ready.

The question is whether this version of Barça — thrilling, open, occasionally reckless — can survive the bigger tests that await.

Flick has his answer for now: keep winning, keep scoring, and fix the defending before someone makes them pay for real.