Valencia vs Barcelona: Yamal hits brace, Raphinha matches Messi as Blaugrana capitalise on Real Madrid slip up

Hansi Flick continued his dominant record against Valencia, as his Barcelona beat Carlos Corberan's side 5-0 to move to the top of the LALIGA standings.

Lamine Yamal scored Barcelona's first and final goal, with Fermin Lopez, Pedri and Raphinha completing the rout.

Raphinha's 50th-minute strike was his sixth for Barcelona this season. He became only the second player to score that many in their team's first four games of a LALIGA season. Lionel Messi is the only other player; he achieved the feat in the 2012/13 and 2013/14 seasons.

​The match exploded into life almost immediately as Barcelona seized control from the opening whistle. 

They scored as early as the sixth minute, as Lamine Yamal received the ball inside the penalty area and audaciously finished with the outside of his boot past goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski to put the visitors ahead. 

The Catalan pressure was relentless, and they doubled their advantage in the 22nd minute when Anthony Gordon set up Fermín López for a classy, composed finish. 

Valencia occasionally threatened, with Dimitrievski producing an incredible save before halftime to keep the deficit at two, but the hosts were fundamentally outclassed in front of their own supporters.

​Nothing changed following the interval, as Barcelona continued their dominance. Just five minutes into the second half, Fermín López turned provider, teeing up Raphinha, who made no mistake in slotting home the third goal of the evening. 

The hosts tried to alter the match's complexion with a series of substitutions, but they could not stem the tide. In the 79th minute, Dani Olmo linked up brilliantly with Pedri, who created space and finished the move himself to extend the lead to 4-0. 

The final blow came in the 84th minute when Yamal found the back of the net for his second goal of the night; the strike was initially scrutinised but eventually awarded following a VAR review, sealing the emphatic five-goal thrashing.