Barcelona 3-0 Levante
By Our LaLiga Correspondent
BARCELONA are back on their perch—and they have a Portuguese magician to thank for the view.
After a week of soul-searching following back-to-back defeats, Hansi Flick’s side didn’t just beat Levante; they dismantled them. While Real Madrid were busy slipping up at Osasuna, Barca reclaimed top spot in La Liga with a swagger that screamed “champions in waiting.”
The star of the show? Joao Cancelo. The man on loan from Al-Hilal played like a man possessed, proving exactly why Flick has made him the cornerstone of this new-look side. Operating with a license to roam, Cancelo was the architect of everything good at the Spotify Camp Nou.
It took just four minutes for the breakthrough. Marc Bernal, the 18-year-old sensation who is rapidly becoming the talk of Catalonia, showed veteran instincts to slide home Eric Garcia’s low cross.
It was Bernal’s second goal in three games, and the youngster celebrated with a tearful tribute to his father and physio after his long road back from injury.
Then came the moment the home fans had been waiting for. Frenkie de Jong, wearing the captain’s armband, ended a goal drought stretching back to January 2025.
It was a goal made in Manchester (via Lisbon), as Cancelo delivered a “worldie” of a cross that De Jong met with a perfectly timed volley. At 2-0 before the break, Levante looked like a team ready for the siesta.
FERMIN’S BOLT FROM THE BLUE
Flick rang the changes late on, bringing on the fit-again Pedri to a rapturous ovation, but it was Fermin Lopez who provided the exclamation point.
With nine minutes left, the substitute picked up a pass from Lamine Yamal—who had a quiet night by his astronomical standards—and unleashed a 20-yard thunderbolt that kissed the post on its way into the top corner.
Levante keeper Mathew Ryan performed heroics to keep the score at three, denying Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha from point-blank range, but the damage was done.
Barca are one point clear at the top, the “Great Dane” Hansi Flick is smiling again, and with Cancelo in this form, the rest of La Liga should be very, very worried.
STAR RATINGS
Joao Cancelo: 10/10 (Man of the Match)
Marc Bernal: 8/10
Frenkie de Jong: 9/10
Fermin Lopez: 8/10
