Barcelona secures thrilling 4-2 victory over Levante

Barcelona walked out of Levante with a 4-2 win, their fifth straight victory of the season, but nothing about it felt routine. This was a night of brilliance and vulnerability, of ruthless finishing and frayed control. It was also a night when Hansi Flick stepped in front of the cameras and said, quite clearly: that first goal was on him.

Lamine Yamal struck twice, Xavi Espart scored his first senior goal, and Karim Adeyemi came off the bench to finish the job. On paper, it looks like a statement win. On the pitch, it was a reminder that this Barça side, for all its attacking power, can still leave the back door open.

Flick: “The mistake was mine”

Barcelona’s defence wobbled more than once, and Flick did not pretend otherwise.

“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 to a decision on the touchline rather than anything on the grass.

The turning point, in his eyes, came around Xavi Espart. The youngster was struggling with cramps, and the staff had already discussed taking him off.

“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.”

It was a rare glimpse of a coach publicly rewinding his own choices. The message to his players was just as clear as his confession: the standard has not changed, even at 5 wins from 5.

“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.”

Goals flowing, doubts lingering

Twenty-one goals in five matches tell one story. The way Barcelona had to suffer to close this one out tells another.

Levante pressed aggressively, forced mistakes, and exposed a defence that never looked fully settled. Flick did not hide behind the scoreline or the table.

“Yes, of course, but also the way we defend is important. 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,” he said.

The warning signs were obvious enough that he was asked whether this was another lesson about intensity. His reply was blunt.

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

Barça still had too much firepower in the end, but the balance between their devastating attack and their shaky moments without the ball will define how far this start can really take them.

Espart announces himself, Adeyemi underlines his edge

In a game that swung back and forth, Xavi Espart’s night stood out. His first senior goal for Barcelona came wrapped in composure, not chaos, and Flick did not hesitate to single him out.

“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,” the coach said.

If Espart’s contribution felt like a milestone, Karim Adeyemi’s late strike felt like a warning to anyone competing with him for minutes.

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

The fourth goal, the one that finally killed Levante’s resistance, summed up Adeyemi’s profile perfectly.

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

On a day when Barcelona needed someone to slam the door shut, Adeyemi did exactly what Anthony Gordon could not.

Gordon’s drought, Flick’s backing

Anthony Gordon left the pitch without a goal again, and without his usual impact. For some forwards, that would be the start of a problem. Flick is not entertaining that idea.

“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 said, focusing on the Englishman’s work between the lines rather than his finishing.

“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.”

Gordon has been an assist machine for Barça this season, even if this particular outing did not belong in his personal highlights reel. The contrast was sharp: Adeyemi came on and delivered the decisive punch from the same flank.

For Flick, that contrast is a luxury, not a headache. The depth is finally at a level where he can turn to the bench and expect an instant response. On nights like this, it makes all the difference.

Barcelona walk away with five wins from five, 21 goals scored, and a coach who refuses to be lulled by the numbers. The attack is humming. The defence is still talking to itself. The real question is simple: when the games get bigger and the margins thinner, which version of this team will show up?