Anthony Gordon came off the bench to make an immediate impact on his Barcelona debut, providing two assists in four minutes as the side thrashed Elche 5-0 away in their La Liga opener on Sunday.
The 25-year-old England winger, who joined Barcelona in June for £70 million after three-and-a-half years at Newcastle, started on the bench. Raphinha opened the scoring after 14 minutes, and summer signing Karim Adeyemi doubled the lead just before half-time.
Instant impact from the bench
Gordon entered the game shortly after the hour mark and needed only two minutes to set up Raphinha's second goal. Four minutes later, he burst through on goal and unselfishly passed to Fermin Lopez for a simple finish. Lopez added his second in the closing stages to make it 5-0.
Asked if it was a 'dream debut' for both him and Adeyemi, Gordon replied: "Of course. I think you always want to win. It's always about the team first, especially with this club."
Settling in at Barcelona
Gordon praised Adeyemi, saying: "Big congratulations to Kareem because he performed a great performance. He got his first goal. He worked really hard in some defensive transition. So, really happy for him."
On settling in, he said: "I feel so good since I've arrived. I said in the interview then that the guys have made me feel so welcome. I feel at home already. The city is amazing. The people are so friendly and I think I would get better and better the longer I'm here."
Manager and next steps
Reflecting on the victory, Gordon added: "It was a top performance. I think it was the perfect start, five goals scored and none conceded. We played some lovely football, scored great goals and, more importantly, I thought the defenders made some excellent last minute challenges and blocks."
Manager Hansi Flick, who has won the La Liga title in each of his two seasons at the helm, said: "We're delighted with the fantastic start we've made; it gives us confidence. I'm pleased with the 5–0 win and the three points. I was concerned about turnovers. We had to control the ball, and in the end, a clean sheet is fantastic, and five goals is great."
Barcelona's next match is at home to Athletic Bilbao on Thursday, where Gordon will have the chance to play a competitive game at Camp Nou in Barcelona colours for the first time.
