Anthony Gordon made an immediate impact on his Barcelona debut, providing two assists in just five minutes as the La Liga champions opened their title defence with a commanding 5-0 victory over Elche.
The England international, who joined Barcelona from Newcastle United during the summer, was introduced in the 65th minute for Lamine Yamal and wasted little time making his presence felt.
Just two minutes after coming on, Gordon slipped a perfectly weighted pass through to Barcelona captain Raphinha, who finished to extend the champions’ advantage.
The 25-year-old then produced another impressive contribution four minutes later, racing into space before squaring the ball for Fermin Lopez to score into an unguarded net and make it 4-0.
Gordon’s quick-fire assists were particularly notable after he recorded only two assists in 26 Premier League appearances for Newcastle last season. However, he was also the club’s leading goalscorer across all competitions, finishing the campaign with 17 goals.
Barcelona took control early when Raphinha won a penalty after being brought down inside the box by Victor Chust. The Brazilian stepped up and converted from the spot to give Hansi Flick’s side the lead.
Elche threatened the Barcelona defence at times but could not find a way through, while the hosts doubled their advantage just before half-time through another new signing, Karim Adeyemi.
The German winger, who arrived from Borussia Dortmund, was played through by Raphinha before calmly finishing past goalkeeper Matias Dituro for his first Barcelona goal.
Barcelona were forced to make an early change when Gavi suffered an injury, with Pedri coming on in his place.
After Gordon replaced Yamal following the interval, the former Newcastle winger quickly became one of the standout performers, helping Barcelona turn a comfortable lead into a resounding opening-day victory.
With Gordon already demonstrating his ability to create chances from the left flank, his debut could provide an early indication of the role he will play in Flick’s plans this season.
Barcelona will return to action against Athletic Bilbao on Thursday, August 27, as Gordon looks to build on an impressive first appearance in the famous Blaugrana shirt.
