Barcelona opens La Liga title defense with 5-0 rout at Elche

Defending champion Barcelona opened its 2026/27 La Liga campaign with a 5-0 away victory over Elche on Sunday. The match was part of the second round of fixtures. Raphinha converted an early penalty and later scored again, with Karim Adeyemi and Fermín López also netting twice for the dominant side. López scored his second goal in the 79th minute before João Cancelo entered the game. Elsewhere, Atlético Madrid drew 2-2 with Villarreal after a dramatic match featuring a red card and a late equalizer from Giuliano Simeone. The result was overshadowed by fan tension surrounding Julián Álvarez, who was whistled throughout.