Levante 2-4 Barcelona: Yamal double leads Barça before Adeyemi ends late scare

Barcelona maintained their perfect LaLiga start with a 4-2 victory over Levante at the Estadi Ciutat de València, although a comfortable three-goal advantage was threatened by a late home comeback.

Barcelona defender Xavi Espart scored his first senior goal before winger Lamine Yamal struck twice, including a second-half penalty. Levante forward Iván Romero and captain Roger Brugué reduced the deficit to 3-2, but Barcelona winger Karim Adeyemi scored in stoppage time to secure the points.

As it happened

Barcelona needed only five minutes to take the lead. Barcelona forward Raphinha found Xavi Espart around 20 yards from goal, and the full-back created space before placing a right-footed shot into the bottom-left corner for his first professional goal.

The visitors doubled their advantage in the 19th minute. Raphinha reached the left byline and delivered a low cross for Lamine Yamal, who timed his run into the area and converted first time from close range.

Levante grew into the match before half-time, with Roger Brugué testing Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García and Víctor García narrowly failing to meet a cross at the back post, but Barcelona went into the interval two goals ahead.

Yamal made it 3-0 shortly after the restart. Levante defender Aïssa Mandi brought the winger down inside the area, and Yamal took the resulting penalty himself, sending goalkeeper Mat Ryan the wrong way.

Levante pulled one back in the 79th minute after Espart misplaced a pass across his own penalty area. Iván Romero intercepted, rounded García and rolled the ball into the empty net.

The hosts then made it 3-2 with two minutes of normal time remaining. Roger Brugué fought his way down the left, entered the area and scored from close range at the second attempt to give Levante hope of completing the comeback.

Barcelona settled the result in the third minute of stoppage time. Marc Bernal released Karim Adeyemi down the left, and the German drove into the area before finishing low past Ryan to complete a 4-2 win.