Barcelona confirms dominance in La Liga by surpassing Levante

Barcelona secured a hard-fought 4-2 victory over hosts Levante in the fifth round of Spain’s La Liga. Goals for Barca came from Chavi Espartero (5th minute), Lamine Yamal (19th and 49th, the latter from a penalty), and Karim Ademi (90+3). Levante’s goals were scored by Ivan Romero (49th) and Roger Bregy (88th).

With this win, Barcelona claimed their fifth consecutive victory and topped the La Liga standings with a perfect 15 points, three clear of their traditional rivals, Real Madrid. The Catalan side has dominated the league this season, scoring 21 goals in just five matches, becoming the first team to reach that tally in the opening five games since the 2011-12 season, when they themselves scored 22.

In another match, Celta Vigo and Malaga drew 1-1.

The previous evening, French star Kylian Mbappe scored a brace as Real Madrid defeated visitors Rayo Vallecano 4-1. After their 0-1 defeat to Real Betis last week, Real Madrid bounced back, having previously beaten Italian side Inter 2-1 in the opening stage of their UEFA Champions League campaign, before regaining their winning form domestically against Rayo Vallecano.

Mbappe opened the scoring from a penalty in the 14th minute before completing his brace in stoppage time (90+1). Alvaro Carreras (17th) and Englishman Jude Bellingham (35th) also found the net, before Sergio Camello pulled one back for the visitors in the second half (51st). The victory moved the royal club to 12 points in second place.

Real Madrid’s manager praised the big win, stating, “The victory was important, especially after last week’s loss to Real Betis.” He added, “We settled the match in the first half. We weren’t brilliant in the second, but it wasn’t easy.” He emphasized, “Working the way we did after the Champions League match, it’s not just about the physical aspect, but also the mental side. We made some changes to the players, gave the midfield stability, and found it. The players deserve my respect and applause.”

He noted, “We had 26 shots at home, scored many goals, but also wasted a huge number of chances. We are a team that knows how to manage a game. We are a very aggressive team that wins the ball back and attacks quickly. The more you push, the harder it becomes to increase the speed.”

Meanwhile, Racing Santander, led by Moroccan star Yasser Al-Zubairi, halted Deportivo Alaves’ momentum and handed them their first loss of the season with a 2-1 victory. Espanyol regained their winning form after three winless matches, beating hosts Osasuna 2-0. Athletic Bilbao fell into a draw, losing to visitors Elche 1-1.