Lamine Yamal scores twice as Barcelona thrash Valencia 5-0 at the Mestalla to stay perfect

Barcelona needed six minutes to get going at the Mestalla and 84 to finish the job. Lamine Yamal opened the scoring — after an earlier effort was ruled out by VAR for offside — and Valencia never had an answer.

Fermín López doubled the lead on 22 minutes, and Barcelona kept adding to it after the break: Raphinha made it three on 50, Pedri a fourth on 79, and Yamal completed his brace — and Barça's fifth — on 84.

A perfect start extended

Eric García had to be replaced through injury on 29 minutes, but it barely dented the visitors' control. Pau Cubarsí and summer arrival Rodri picked up second-half yellow cards, as did Valencia's Arnau Martínez, in what was otherwise a one-sided afternoon from start to finish.

A frontline that keeps sharing it around

Raphinha has now scored in every one of Barcelona's four league matches this season: the winner against Athletic Club in matchday 1, a penalty and a second goal at Elche in matchday 2, a brace against Rayo Vallecano in matchday 3, and now the third goal at the Mestalla. Six goals from four starts, and not a blank among them.

Yamal's double at the Mestalla is also his second brace in as many matchdays. Six days earlier, in the 5-2 win over Rayo Vallecano, he had scored either side of half-time — a curled finish from the right and a low strike into the bottom corner in the 90th minute. Against Valencia he did it again, opening the scoring inside six minutes and closing it with 84 gone. Fermín López, who also scored twice at Elche and once against Athletic Club, has now been on the scoresheet in three of Barcelona's four matches this season — only the Rayo Vallecano game passed without his name on it.

The division's worst attack and its worst goal difference

For Valencia, this is a fourth different way to go without a win. Their rearranged matchday-1 fixture was lost 0-1 to Real Betis, matchday 2 produced a goalless draw with Celta Vigo, and matchday 3 ended 3-1 at Deportivo La Coruña — two Valencia own goals either side of a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang strike, with only Umar Sadiq's reply to show for it. That Sadiq goal is still the only one Valencia have scored in the league all season: with none forthcoming at the Mestalla either, they are one of just four clubs in Spain without a second goal to their name this campaign, alongside Getafe, Málaga and Celta Vigo. Their goal difference of -8 is the worst in the division, four goals worse than the next-worst side.

Match facts

• 6' — Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
• 22' — Fermín López (Barcelona)
• 50' — Raphinha (Barcelona)
• 79' — Pedri (Barcelona)
• 84' — Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)

What's next

Barcelona stay top with 12 points from four wins out of four, two points clear of nearest challengers Alavés. Valencia remain bottom of the table on a single point from four games, without a win so far this season. Both sides return after the international break.

In the LaLiga standings after matchday 4, Barcelona sit 1st on 12 points, inside the Champions League places (top five); Valencia sit 20th, last, on a single point, inside the relegation zone (18th-20th). Their goal difference of +15 is the best in the league; Valencia's -8 is the worst.