Three Things We Learned From Barcelona’s Emphatic First La Liga Win of the Season

Barcelona picked up right where they left off last term and began their La Liga title-defense with a dominant performance away at Mallorca.

In a game where Barcelona dominated from start to finish—aided by two Mallorca players getting sent off in the first half—they left the rest of La Liga on notice. Despite this being far from the best performance of the Hansi Flick era, the Catalans still showed why they’re favorites to repeat as champions.

Raphinha scored Barcelona’s first goal of the season early in the contest. Ferran Torres doubled the lead as he continues to be a more than serviceable backup to an absent Robert Lewandowski. With the game under control, Lamine Yamal put the exclamation point on the victory with a wonderful strike in stoppage time.

The La Liga champions got the job done in their season debut and have now tallied 53 of 57 points in their last 19 league matches. But perhaps what’s most ominous is that it’s clear Flick’s side are still capable of greater improvement.

Barcelona Stars Continue to Shine Bright

It took Lamine Yamal and Raphinha just seven minutes of the new season to remind the world of the formidable partnership the two Barça wingers have constructed.

It’s almost too predictable that Barcelona’s first goal of 2025–26 followed the same formula so many from the previous term did: a deadly Yamal cross from the right wing met at the back post by Raphinha charging behind his marker.

Barcelona’s wing-duo were once again at the heart of every attack. Raphinha finished the game with one goal but could’ve easily had more considering he hit the post twice in the second half. The Brazilian constantly abandoned the wing to drift centrally as a second striker, the same tactical approach that saw him have a career year last season.

Yamal, on the other side, was fantastic. Donning the No. 10 shirt for the first time didn’t seem to affect the electrifying teenager, who assisted Raphinha and then crowned his man of the match performance with an absolute screamer with the final kick of the game. If he can constantly match this level of output, he’ll breeze past his previous season high of nine La Liga goals.

LAMINE YAMAL. ON HIS LEFT AGAIN.

HIS FIRST GOAL OF THE SEASON IS HIS SIGNATURE MOVE 👑 pic.twitter.com/pIvnBJUfJH
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 16, 2025

But Barcelona’s wingers weren’t the only ones who didn’t miss a beat. The midfield double-pivot of Pedri and Frenkie de Jong continues to be the heart and brains of Flick’s side. Even before Mallorca were down to nine men, Pedri and De Jong looked in full control, pulling the strings of every Barça possession and dictating the tempo of the match. Although it might go unnoticed, their defensive work and positioning remain second to none.

In a summer were the incessant talk of transfers and the club’s financial issues dominated the headlines, Barcelona’s stars immediately reminded everyone why, even without marquee reinforcements, this is one of the best teams in the world.

The Ronald Araujo Rollercoaster

Ever since Iñigo Martínez’s move to Al Nassr was completed, Ronald Araújo emerged as the obvious candidate to take his place in the starting lineup. Against Mallorca, Barcelona got the full Araújo experience, the good and the bad.

Araújo continues to be a liability in possession. In the first half, Mallorca’s press was triggered every time Araújo was on the ball, clearly identifying him as the weakest link. Whenever he did have time to pick a progressive pass, he often missed his target, finishing the match with just 81% passing accuracy, which is notably low for a center back. It’s evident he’s still got a long way to go to match Martinez’s quality on the ball.

Fouls continue to be an issue for Araújo, who committed four in the first half that likely should’ve resulted in a booking. He’s sometimes clumsy going into challenges and must clean up that part of his game or it could prove costly in higher-stakes settings. Still, his physicallity is one of his strongest attributes and he constantly utilized his body to stiffle attacks.

What’s undeniable is that Araújo’s speed and ability to defend in space are game-changers, something no other Barça center back can do at his level. These attributes mesh perfectly with Barcelona’s risky high-line. The were times against Mallorca were they failed to catch players offside, but Araújo’s pace tracking back prevented the action from turning into a dangerous chance.

Barcelona kept a clean- sheet in their season debut and Araújo should get part of the credit. Nevertheless, he must continue to improve on his weaknesses for Barça fans to truly feel confident there’s no reason to worry about Martinez’s departure.

Open Competition for the No. 10 Role

Three different players were deployed in the No. 10 role during Barcelona’s first game of the season.

Fermín López got the nod to start after a strong preseason. The La Masia attacking midfielder was picked ahead of Dani Olmo in a reversal of what commonly happened last season. Against Mallorca, Fermín failed to make a significant impact and was hooked at halftime.

Olmo trotted on for the second half. With Mallorca sitting back, the Spain international didn’t have much time, let alone room in which to operate. Despite the unfavorable context, he managed to thread dangerous passes and the post denied him of scoring following a darting run to get to the end of a cross.

Then, Olmo was moved to the left wing when Gavi entered the match later in the second half. Under Flick, Gavi has been deployed almost exclusively as a No. 10. Almost a year after returning from an ACL injury, the youngster looked spry, energetic and sharp. In 25 minutes, he bagged an assist, created two chances and misplaced just one of his 20 passes.

Of the three midfielders Flick deployed in the No. 10 role against Mallorca, Gavi had unquestionably the best performance.

The constant shuffling of the position makes it clear that Flick is unsure who his best option is to play as his most advanced midfielder. There’s an open competition entering the season for a starting role as the No. 10, one that will be interesting to see develop in coming games.

Fermín, Olmo and Gavi, three immensely talented players fighting for one spot in the XI. The definition of champagne problems for Flick.