FC Barcelona remained unbeaten in La Liga this season after beating Levante 4-2 away on Sunday afternoon, though a nervy final quarter of an hour briefly threatened to spoil an otherwise routine win.
Barcelona's attack, already one of the most productive in Spain this season, put the game to bed early in the second half, going 3-0 up against the home side. It looked as though the match had been settled with time to spare.
Levante had other ideas. The Catalan club's defence handed the hosts a way back into the game when Espart and Christensen made a mistake inside the penalty area. Neither player reached the ball in time, and Romero pounced to beat a surprised goalkeeper, Garcia, according to a match report by Agnieszka Piskorz. Brugue added a second for Levante in the 88th minute before Adeyemi settled the contest with a goal that made the final score 4-2 to Barcelona.
Flick owns up to error
Barcelona collected another three points, but the closing stages gave supporters cause for concern. Speaking at his post-match press conference, quoted by the outlet Sport, Flick said he was to blame for the first goal conceded. He explained that the team had planned to make a substitution, and that he had told the kit man to wait until the next stoppage in play, adding that the mistake was his own.
Despite Barcelona having won every match this season, five in La Liga and one in the Champions League, and having scored 26 goals along the way, the German coach said his side was not yet at its peak. He said it might look as though everything was coming easily, but that there were things the team still needed to do much better.
Praise for Adeyemi and Gordon
Flick had warm words for the scorer of Barcelona's final goal. He said Adeyemi never surprised him, that the forward was fantastic when he played with the right focus, and that this was exactly why the club had signed him. Flick added that he had known Adeyemi for years and always knew what he was capable of, saying the player had something special about him.
Another of Barcelona's summer signings, Anthony Gordon, is still waiting for his first goal for the club despite already registering five assists. Flick said Gordon brought a great deal to the team, controlled the ball well and combined effectively with teammates, and that he was very pleased with him. He added that Gordon naturally wanted to start scoring goals, that he hoped it would happen soon, and that the club was working on it.
What comes next
Barcelona have two more fixtures before the next international break. Racing Santander travel to the Camp Nou on 16 September, before the Catalans make the trip to face Sevilla a few days later. Flick said the win over Levante gave the squad a moment to enjoy, but stressed that matches remained on Wednesday and Saturday, with the team's focus on Saturday's game.
