No Yamal, No Problem: Takeaways From Barcelona’s 6

Barcelona dominated from start to finish and destroyed Valencia 6–0 in their home debut in front of 6,000 fans at the Estadi Johan Cruyff.

With braces from Fermín López, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, Barcelona cruised to victory against a very disappointing Valencia side that completely collapsed in the second half. Hansi Flick’s men overwhelmed the visitors, outshooting them by 24 to two, with Joan García facing just one shot on target all night.

After three unconvincing performances to start the season, Barcelona’s title defense is up and running. Flick’s side finally looked like the team that dominated Spanish soccer a season ago and will now aim to build on this performance with their 2025–26 Champions League debut up next.

Here’s three takeaways from Barcelona’s emphatic victory.

Fermin Lopez Proves His Worth

There was a lot of talk of Fermín López possibly leaving Barcelona to join Chelsea near the end of the summer transfer window. Today, the Masia graduate showcased why letting him go would’ve been a terrible mistake.

Fermín was at the heart of everything that went right for Barcelona against Valencia. He opened the scoring with a perfectly curled shot into the far corner and then completed his brace in the second half with a weak-foot missile from distance. Apart from the goals, he pulled the strings of Barça’s attack, leading the team in dribbles and creating two dangerous chances—one of which ended in Raphinha’s second goal of the game.

The 22-year-old continues to be routinely picked ahead of Dani Olmo in the lineup. His quality on the ball is matched by his tenacity and tireless pressing that meshes perfectly with Flick’s aggressive style. Simply put, he’s maturing into an elite, well-rounded attacking midfielder.

“I never had any doubts about staying at Barcelona,” Fermín said after the game. “There were speculations, but in the end I always wanted to stay here and I will fight to stay here for many years.”

No Lamine Yamal, No Problem

Lamine Yamal couldn’t feature against Valencia because of an injury he suffered whilst representing Spain last week. A season ago, this might’ve been a devastating blow, but today, Barcelona showed they are much better equipped to handle their superstar’s absence.

Roony Bardghji made his Barcelona debut starting in Yamal’s usual spot in the right wing. Although the 19-year-old couldn’t make a significant impact, he showed flashes and at the very least proved he can operate in that position when Yamal needs rest.

But it’s the presence of Marcus Rashford that truly stood out. The England international didn’t have an otherworldly performance, but it was his best since joining the club and crowned it by getting his first assist for the Catalans.

The biggest benefit of having Rashford is that he makes Barça more flexible. With the Manchester United loanee on the left, Flick was able to deploy Raphinha on the right wing—his natural position. The Brazilian was brilliant in the second half, scoring a brace from Yamal’s usual spot.

The two Barça summer signings might not be the flashiest acquisitions, but they’ll play a pivotal role in offering depth and cover at positions the team didn’t have last term. Today, it became abundantly clear that Barcelona are now a more complete team, better capable of withstanding the marathon season.

Welcome Back Marc Bernal

On a night when Barcelona scored goals for fun and delivered their best performance of the young season, arguably the biggest positive from the game was the re-introduction of La Masia youngster Marc Bernal.

Exactly 383 days after tearing his ACL in Barcelona’s third game of the 2024–25 season, Bernal returned to the pitch with 10 minutes to go against Valencia. Five minutes later, he bagged his first career assist when he set up Barcelona’s sixth.

The 18-year-old started Barcelona’s first three games a season ago and was expected to partner Pedri in midfield during the opening months of the term before his injury. Bernal captained the Masia teams of Yamal and Pau Cubarsí’s generation and is touted by many to be Sergio Busquets’s heir in Barça’s midfield.

Flick will likely be cautious with Bernal’s minutes moving forward, but the teenager has the quality and potential to play a significant role come the season’s climax.