Barcelona opened their La Liga campaign with an emphatic 5–0 victory over Elche at the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero on Sunday. Hansi Flick’s reigning champions had missed the opening weekend after their fixture was postponed because of the number of Barcelona players involved in the latter stages of the 2026 World Cup.

Despite the unusual schedule, Barcelona showed no signs of rust. The visitors controlled the match from the start, created repeated chances and produced a dominant attacking display against an Elche side that had already drawn 1–1 with Deportivo La Coruña in its opening fixture.

The result immediately placed Barcelona among the early pace-setters, although it is far too soon to describe them as league leaders in any meaningful sense. Sevilla began the weekend at the top of the table with six points from two matches, while Barcelona and Real Madrid had each played only once.

Barcelona’s victory offered an encouraging early indication of their ambitions under Flick. The Catalan club won the 2025–26 title with 94 points, finishing eight points ahead of Real Madrid, and they have begun the new campaign with another convincing performance.

The schedule will now become demanding for the champions. Barcelona are due to play their postponed fixture against Athletic Club on 27 August, creating an immediate period of congestion as the squad adjusts to domestic football after the international tournament.

Although one victory cannot determine the title race, Barcelona’s performance in Elche demonstrated why they remain one of the leading contenders. Their organization, attacking quality and experience give them a strong platform, while the rest of the division will hope to exploit any weaknesses once the fixtures become more frequent.