Barcelona Survives Scare in Wild 4-2 Win Over Levante

Barcelona’s perfect start to the season survived a serious scare in Valencia, a wild 4-2 win at Levante delivering three points and a few sharp reminders for Hansi Flick.

It was not control. It was not calm. It was, however, ruthless.

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 as Barça made it five wins from five. The scoreline looked emphatic. The performance did not.

Flick wins again – and points the finger at himself

Flick walked away pleased with the result, not with everything that led to it. Barcelona’s attacking power bailed them out, but their defensive structure frayed under Levante’s pressure.

"The goals we conceded came from mistakes we made, but for the first goal, I think the mistake was mine," Flick admitted, taking direct responsibility. He had delayed substituting Xavi Espart, who was struggling with cramps, and Barcelona were punished in that window.

"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 honesty matched the game: open, risky, and at times chaotic. Barcelona’s defence looked porous, and Levante sensed it.

Record start, but no time for numbers

The victory means Flick has already matched Barcelona’s best-ever start to a season, a marker that would usually dominate the headlines. He refused to dwell on it.

"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."

Twenty-one goals in five matches underline the sheer weight of attacking talent at his disposal. Flick, though, pushed the conversation back to the other end of the pitch.

"Yes, of course, but also the way we defend is important," he said. Levante pressed high, the pitch did not help Barça’s passing rhythm, and the visitors never fully settled. "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."

Asked if this was another warning about dropping intensity, Flick did not soften his verdict: "If you do not give 100%, things like this happen."

The message was clear. The scoreline flattered them; the performance did not.

Espart announces himself, Adeyemi finishes the job

On a night when Barcelona’s back line creaked, two forwards seized their moment.

Espart, still at the very start of his senior journey, produced his first goal for the club. Flick did not hide his satisfaction at the youngster’s rise.

"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."

Then came Adeyemi, whose late strike restored daylight on the scoreboard and underlined why Flick trusts him.

"No, I am not surprised, because when he is focused, he is a fantastic player. That is what he has to deliver," the coach said. The fourth goal, in particular, lit him up. "Especially with the fourth goal, he was fantastic. In that situation you can see that he has something special."

In a game slipping towards unnecessary drama, Adeyemi provided the cold edge Levante could not live with.

Gordon’s drought, Flick’s backing

On the opposite flank, Anthony Gordon’s night told a different story. No goal, no standout moment, and a performance that never quite caught fire. Still, Flick stepped firmly in behind 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.

Gordon has been a steady source of assists this season, even if this outing did not rank among his best. Flick knows what a first goal could unlock.

"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 contrast on the left was striking. Adeyemi came on and did what Gordon could not: decide the match in the box. Both, though, will remain central to Flick’s plans on that flank in the coming months.

Barcelona’s depth is starting to show. When one forward fades, another steps in and shifts the game.

Five straight wins, 21 goals, and a coach already demanding more. If this is only the beginning, how high can this team climb once they finally find the control Flick keeps chasing?