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Barcelona 1-3 Real Madrid: Returning Ramos spot on in second straight Clasico win

Madrid captain Ramos was substituted in last week's home defeat to Cadiz and missed the subsequent shock reverse against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League as the Spanish champions crept towards a crisis ahead of their first meeting with Barca this season.

But the centre-back was fit to start for the crunch LaLiga clash at Camp Nou and drew a second-half spot-kick from Clement Lenglet to restore Madrid's lead after Ansu Fati had cancelled out Federico Valverde's opener in a frantic start.

Luka Modric then preyed on a Neto error in the 90th minute to secure the points and take Zinedine Zidane's men top, earning back-to-back LaLiga wins against their fiercest rivals for the first time since May 2008 - the last time they successfully defended their domestic title.

Meanwhile, Barca are now without a win in three in the league and sit six points back in mid-table under new coach Ronald Koeman.

Barcelona 3-0 Brest: Lewandowski scores twice to surpass 100 Champions League goals

On his 125th Champions League appearance, Lewandowski netted his landmark goal from the penalty spot just 10 minutes in at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, after he was barged over by Brest goalkeeper Marco Bizot.

Dani Olmo made matters more comfortable for Barca, who squandered several chances to add to their lead and looked vulnerable to counter-attacks at times, midway through the second half.

Olmo skilfully evaded a glut of defenders in the box and squeezed in a finish that deflected in off Bizot.

And Lewandowski fittingly added further gloss in stoppage time to move onto 101 goals in UEFA's flagship cup competition.

Barca moved up to second in the 36-team standings, with 12 points, one point behind leaders Inter.

Data Debrief: Ton up for in-form Lewy

Lewandowski is the third player to score 100 goals in the Champions League, after Lionel Messi (129) and Cristiano Ronaldo (140).

The Barca striker, however, took the fewest shots (451) to reach the milestone, with Messi needing 527 to get there, and Ronaldo 793. Lewandowski netted 17 times in the competition for Borussia Dortmund, 69 times for Bayern Munich and now 15 times for the Blaugrana. Meanwhile, 22 of his Champions League goals have come under Hansi Flick.

In all competitions this season, Lewandowski has now scored 22 goals in 19 appearances – nine more than any other LaLiga player. Indeed, he is only four goals shy of his total tally for last season (26 in 49 games).

Barca, meanwhile, are the fifth team to win four successive European Cup/Champions League matches by at least three goals, after Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 (five), Bayern in 2020 and 2021 (four on both occasions), Leeds United in 1969 (four) and Reims in 1958 (four).

Barcelona 3-1 Espanyol: Olmo brace sends Blaugrana nine points clear

Dani Olmo scored twice while Raphinha was also on target as Hansi Flick's side stretched their advantage over second-place Real Madrid, whose scheduled showdown with Valencia this weekend was postponed.

Barca broke the deadlock after just 12 minutes. Olmo latched onto Lamine Yamal's brilliant throughball with the outside of his boot, before beating Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia with a well-taken first-time finish.

The hosts doubled their lead 11 minutes later with Marc Casado finding Raphinha, who bravely lifted over the advancing Garcia.

It was 3-0 just after the half-hour mark, as Olmo received Alejandro Balde's pass before drilling home from the edge of the penalty area.

Espanyol, who saw two goals disallowed following VAR reviews, pulled one back when Javi Puado turned home Carlos Romero's cross in the 63rd minute.

However, it proved a consolation for the visitors, who suffered their sixth defeat in seven league games. 

Data Debrief: Free-scoring Barca maintain derby dominance

Now unbeaten in 27 LaLiga derbies against Espanyol, Barcelona have now scored 40 goals this season; their second-highest tally after the first 12 games of a LaLiga season (42 in 1950-51).

Following Olmo's brace, which took his tally for the campaign to five, the Blaugrana are the only team with four different players to have scored at least five goals in Europe's top five leagues this term.

In setting up Raphinha's goal, Casado is the first Barca player from Spain to provide an assist in three successive games in all competitions since at least the 2014-15 season.

Barcelona 4-1 Bayern: Raphinha hat-trick inspires Barca to emphatic win

The win for Barca at their temporary Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys home ends a near decade-long winless run against the German powerhouses.

Raphinha's inspired night started when he gave Barca the lead a little over a minute after kick-off as he received a fine pass through by midfielder Fermin Lopez, beat the offside trap and rounded the onrushing Manuel Neuer to tap into the empty net.

Harry Kane leveled the score with a volley in the 18th minute, only for Robert Lewandowski to put the home team back in front in the 36th minute against his former side after a mistake by Bayern's defence.

Raphinha then extended Barca's lead with two goals from quick counter-attacks either side of half-time.

Barca are ninth in the Champions League standings on six points from three games, while Bayern are 23rd on three points after a second consecutive defeat.

Data Debrief: Bayern blown away by brilliant Raphinha

This was expected to be a tight contest between two behemoths of the European game, but Raphinha had other ideas as he struck the first of his three goals inside just 54 seconds.

That is the second-earliest goal Barca have scored in the Champions League, beaten only by Mark van Bommel's goal against Panathinaikos in 2005 after 36 seconds.

He is the first player to score twice in the first half of a Champions League game against Bayern since Neymar did so far Barcelona in May 2015, and he only added to the German side's misery with his third in the second period.

Barcelona 5-0 Young Boys: Lewandowski brace leads Blaugrana to five-star win

Hansi Flick's team were beaten 2-1 by Monaco in their first game in the competition's new-look league phase, but there were no surprises when Young Boys visited Montjuic on matchday two.

Lewandowski gave the hosts the lead in the eighth minute by tapping in a low Raphinha cross, following good combination play between the Brazilian and teenage sensation Lamine Yamal.

After the hosts squandered some decent chances, a quickfire double from Raphinha and Inigo Martinez gave Barca a 3-0 lead, the Brazilian netting a rebound in the 34th minute and Martinez scoring with a towering header less than three minutes later.

Lewandowski got his second and Barca's fourth shortly after half-time, nodding a Martinez corner home from inside the six-yard box, then Young Boys defender Mohamed Camara bundled the ball into his own net while trying to clear Alejandro Balde's cross late on.

Data Debrief: Lewandowski level with Messi

As well as helping Barca to a crucial victory following their matchday one defeat, Lewandowski's double saw him draw level with Lionel Messi as the most ruthless finishers in Champions League history.

He now averages 0.79 goals per 90 minutes in the competition, a figure only matched by Blaugrana great Messi among all players to play a minimum of 50 matches.

Cristiano Ronaldo (0.77 goals per 90), Ruud van Nistelrooy (0.77) and Karim Benzema (0.59) trail Lewandowski and Messi for that metric.

The Poland star has also now scored 51 Champions League goals after turning 30 years old, becoming just the second player to accomplish that feat after Ronaldo (68).

Barcelona 5-1 Deportivo Alaves: Messi marks milestone outing with a double

Barca captain Messi made his 505th LaLiga appearance for the Catalan giants, drawing level with the club record set by Xavi, and reached 459 goals in the competition with a pair of stunning 25-yard efforts.

At the other end of the scale, two players making their first LaLiga starts combined for the opening goal: Ilaix Moriba marking his league debut for Barca by setting up Francisco Trincao.

Luis Rioja pulled one back for Alaves in the second half but Trincao and Messi struck within 83 seconds of one another and Junior Firpo completed the scoring at the end of a wonderful move.

Barca struggled to create early openings, but, after Marc-Andre ter Stegen got down to Rodrigo Battaglia's volley, they took the lead when Ilaix showed great composure with a patient cutback to tee up Trincao.

After seeing one goal chalked off by VAR for an offside against Antoine Griezmann, there was no doubt about Barca's second when Messi cracked a wicked 25-yard effort in off the post on the stroke of half-time.

Barca had looked vulnerable defensively and Rioja intercepted a pass from Ilaix and raced forwards to reduce the arrears with a confident finish before the hour mark.

Fernando Pacheco kept out Trincao but the Portugal international swept home the loose ball after Messi failed to round the Alaves goalkeeper following a sumptuous pass from substitute Pedri.

Messi made no mistake with his next chance, leaving Pacheco no chance with a fantastic left-footed effort that flew into the back of the net.

The Argentina international then scooped a pass over the defence for Griezmann, whose delivery across the face of goal was steered into the roof of the net by Junior.

Trincao slotted home another fine pass from Messi at the death but was denied his hat-trick by the offside flag.

Barcelona 5-1 Sevilla: LaLiga leaders extend gap at top with emphatic win

Barca were dominant throughout the encounter at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys and effectively killed off the game with three goals in 15 first-half minutes.

A Lewandowski penalty got the scoring started after Raphinha was fouled from behind in the 24th minute before Pedri fired a bullet strike into the top corner from the edge of the box to double their lead four minutes later.

Lewandowski then got his second from close range in the 39th minute, sticking out a leg to divert Raphinha's low shot past Orjan Nyland.

Raphinha thought he had added a fourth just after half-time, only to be denied by the offside flag, as was Dodi Lukebakio at the other end in the 72nd minute.

Torre climbed off the bench to score the fourth with a shot from inside the box 10 minutes later and, moments after Stanis Idumbo netted a consolation for Sevilla in the 87th, he wrapped up the scoring with a superb free-kick into the far corner.

Barcelona sit top of the LaLiga standings on 27 points, three ahead of Real Madrid in second, and seven clear of Atletico Madrid in third. Sevilla are 13th on 12 points.

Data Debrief: Flick's men firing on all cylinders

Flick has certainly settled into life at Barcelona quickly, and the Catalan giants picked up where they left off before the international break with another high-scoring game, meaning they have scored 13 goals in their last three games.

In fact, Barcelona have netted 31 LaLiga goals in 2024-25 so far, their best scoring start after their first 10 games of a season in the competition since 2012-13 (32).

And Lewandowski has certainly played his part, becoming the first player to score 12 goals after his first 10 games of a season since Lionel Messi in 2019-20 (also 12).

As has Lamine Yamal, who had been an injury doubt before the game. He is the first Barcelona player to provide six assists at this stage of a LaLiga season since Messi in 2014-15 (seven). 

Barcelona 5-2 Real Betis: Messi scores double after starting on the bench

Barca assistant Alfred Schreuder put the absence of Messi, who has struggled for form this season, down to a lack of fitness as he started a league game on the bench for the first time since September 2019.

The mercurial forward was brought on at half-time with the game poised at 1-1 after Ousmane Dembele's strike was cancelled out by Barca academy product Antonio Sanabria, either side of an Antoine Griezmann penalty miss.

Messi paved the way for Griezmann's goal 194 seconds into the second half, then scored a penalty after Aissa Mandi was dismissed for handling the ball on the line and doubled his tally late on to kill off Betis following Loren Moron's strike.

Pedri then capped a much-improved display for Koemen's side with a fifth goal late on as they secured a first league win in five on Saturday.

Barca had made their worst start to a league season after six games in the three-points-per-win era but made a bright start against Betis, with Griezmann firing wide from 12 yards and Fati curling a shot off target.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen, making his first league appearance of the season, kept out William Carvalho's header before Ansu Fati and Griezmann wasted more presentable opportunities.

However, the breakthrough came 22 minutes in, as Dembele brought the ball inside Alex Moreno and beat Claudio Bravo, who got a touch to the shot but could not keep it out.

Griezmann then hit the post and was denied by Bravo from the spot after Mandi fouled Fati, and Betis were level when Sanabria guided in Cristian Tello's cross on the brink of half-time.

Messi was brought on for Fati at the break and had an instant impact, smartly dummying Jordi Alba's cross for Griezmann to slot into an unguarded net behind him.

After a lengthy VAR check, Mandi was deemed to have blocked Dembele's shot on the line with his arm and Messi had no trouble converting his fourth penalty of the season.

Moron gave the visitors a lifeline by blasting a shot past Ter Stegen after Gerard Pique flicked the ball into his path, but that proved nothing more than a consolation thanks to Messi's powerful left-footed drive and Pedri's close-range finish.

Barcelona and Spain forward Torres suffers hamstring injury

The 24-year-old will miss Spain's Nations League matches against Denmark on Saturday and Serbia next Tuesday, having damaged the biceps femoris muscle in his right thigh.

Spanish media reports said Torres could be out for six to eight weeks after he sustained the injury in Barca's 3-0 win at Alaves on Sunday, limping off after just five minutes.

"Tests carried out on Ferran Torres confirm that he has an injury to the biceps femoris muscle in his right thigh. His return to training will be dependent on his recovery," Barcelona, LaLiga leaders with eight wins from nine games this term, said.

The Blaugrana are navigating an injury crisis, with Dani Olmo, Gavi, Fermin Lopez, Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araujo and goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen among the players sidelined.

"Ferran's injury is worrying. We don't have many options in attack," Barca boss Hansi Flick said on Sunday.

Torres has made 10 appearances for Barcelona in all competitions this season, scoring once and registering two assists.

Barcelona and Spain star Gavi to have surgery on torn ACL

The 19-year-old suffered the injury playing for Spain in their Euro 2024 qualifier against Georgia on Sunday, limping off the pitch in the opening 25 minutes.

Barca said in a statement that tests carried out on Monday morning have shown he has “a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and an associated injury to the lateral meniscus”.

He will undergo surgery in the coming days.

The extent of the injury is a big blow for Barcelona, who are currently third in LaLiga, with Gavi having established himself as a key player in their squad since making his debut at 17 years old in August 2021, making 111 appearances already.

He won the league title with Barca last season and has played 15 times for them this term.

Spain went on to win the match against Georgia 3-1 and Barcelona team-mate Ferran Torres celebrated his second-half goal by holding Gavi’s shirt up.

Speaking after the match, Spain boss Luis de la Fuente described the win as “bittersweet”.

He said: “It’s one of the most bittersweet victories I’ve ever had. As far as I can remember, it’s the hardest, the bitterest of moments, to see an important player like Gavi sustain an injury like that.

“It’s a very difficult moment for the player, for his club, for the RFEF (Spanish Football Federation), for the national team and for all his team-mates. In the dressing room it felt like we had lost. This is the ugly side of football.

“Football is a risky activity occasionally, something we often forget to appreciate. It was an unfortunate incident, but Gavi was perfectly fit to play the game and it was just unlucky, really, really unlucky.”

Barcelona appoint former player Deco as sporting director on three-year contract

Alemany’s scheduled departure from Barcelona was announced in May and he will now work alongside Deco until early next month.

Deco, who played for the Catalan club between 2004 and 2008, will work closely with the coaches in heading the footballing department at the Nou Camp.

The club will release details of their new sporting structure under their new director over the coming weeks.

Barcelona board approves €1.255billion budget for 2022-23

LaLiga giants Barca have been battling financial difficulties over the course of several seasons, with president Joan Laporta aiming to steady the ship, though it has not stopped them spending big in the transfer market.

Though Lionel Messi left the club in 2021, Barca this year signed Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde and Raphinha for big money, while also adding Andreas Christensen, Franck Kessie, Hector Bellerin and Marcos Alonso on low-cost deals. Ousmane Dembele was handed a new contract, too.

Barca sold 25 per cent of their TV revenue for the next 25 years to private equity group Sixth Street in two separate deals in June and July, while they have also turned to streaming platform Spotify as their new stadium and shirt sponsor.

On Monday, a club statement outlined a €1.255billion budget for the 2022-23 season, as well as confirming the previous financial year's turnover of €1.017billion, €98million of which is said to have been profit.

The forecasted profit for the next financial year is much greater, at €274m.

Barca's board also decided the club's general assembly of delegate members would be held virtually on October 9. Xavi's team host Celta Vigo at Camp Nou on the same day.

In a subsequent statement, Barca announced the tender process for the project management of the redevelopment of the Gol Sur section of their stadium had been finalised, with contracts signed with Catalan companies Enginyeria i Arquitectura Torrella and Ingenieros JG.

According to Barca, the tender process for the construction work has not yet finished.

Barcelona boss Flick calls for LaLiga suspension after Spanish floods

Barca thrashed Real Madrid 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu last weekend to establish a six-point lead in LaLiga but their city rivals Espanyol are 20 points behind and languishing in 17th place, a point above the relegation zone.

Yet Flick feels it is wrong that LaLiga is playing on in the wake of the flash floods that have devastated regions of eastern Spain, with Valencia particularly impacted.

Madrid's game against Valencia was naturally postponed, but most other fixtures in Spain's top tier are going ahead.

"If it were me, I might [suspend LaLiga] because it is an incredible tragedy for Valencia and Spain as a whole," Flick said.

"We have spoken with Ferran [Torres] who is from the area, and it is not easy to decide whether the game should be played or not.

"It is a tragedy. It was something similar in Germany three years ago, it is horrible. We will do everything we can to help. The rest is for LaLiga to decide." 

Barca do hold a brilliant record against Espanyol, having not lost in their last 26 encounters with their city rivals.

Flick, though, warned his side against any complacency.

"I know what a Barca-Espanyol derby means. It will be a tough match, for sure. After a fantastic week, it is important to be at 100% tomorrow, with intensity and maximum quality," Flick said.

"We always prepare well for the next game. After the celebrations, we focus on the next game. We work on what we want tomorrow. It's a very long game in the league and we focus on the next game."

Barca have taken 30 points from their first 11 league matches this season, their second-highest tally at this stage of a campaign in the competition, after 31 points in the 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2017-18 seasons.

Barcelona boss Flick to rely on experience amid injury crisis

A perfect seven wins from as many matches in LaLiga this season means Barca could match the best start in their league history on Saturday, when they visit Osasuna.

Only once have Barca won their first eight matches to start a league campaign, doing so in 2013-14 under Gerardo Martino but ultimately finishing second to Atletico Madrid that season.

Flick's impressive start at Camp Nou has come despite injuries biting at his squad, with goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen the latest casualty as he underwent knee surgery this week.

He has joined Dani Olmo, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Ronald Araujo, Fermin Lopez and Andreas Christensen in the treatment room, while Inigo Martinez is doubtful after suffering an injury against Getafe on Wednesday.

De Jong and Gavi are closing in on returns, but Flick is confident in his team's ability to cope in their absence.  

"This is about quality of the players. They are very well prepared and train with so much passion and mentality," Flick said. "Evidently, as we did before, there will be some rotations.

"But also it's important the experienced players are with us, like Raphinha and [Robert] Lewandowski. Inigo received a blow, so we will see how that is.

"From what I see in training, [De Jong] is in good shape, also Gavi picking up the pace. 

"Frenkie is very close to returning. Tomorrow he will have a rest because he needs it, he trained a lot."

The return of De Jong, who last played in April, could be a major boost for Barcelona as they brace for a tough October, when they host Bayern Munich in the Champions League three days before visiting Real Madrid in LaLiga.

"De Jong is an experienced player and he can help us greatly, even if he plays 20 minutes, but we will see what happens next week," Flick said.

Flick was also asked what it would mean to equal Barca's best start to a season, but the German is focused purely on the task of overcoming Osasuna.

"It's always great to win though we aren't focusing on the record," he said.

"From 11 points, Osasuna have won 10 points at home, where the crowd really gets behind them and I like that atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Barca have been banned from selling tickets for their next Champions League away game, at Red Star Belgrade on November 6, after their supporters were found guilty of racist behaviour during their match against Monaco. 

Barcelona boss Koeman: I am healthy, that's all that matters!

Club president Joan Laporta said in a news conference earlier on Friday that Koeman had given the club "a scare" this week.

It came after the 58-year-old, who had a heart procedure last year, visited hospital, with conflicting reports over whether the trip was routine or related to anxiety.

Koeman attempted to clarify the situation on Twitter, writing: "Don't believe anything you hear. I am healthy, that's all that matters in life!"

The comments come at an uncertain time for Koeman, who has one year left on his contract at Camp Nou but is under pressure to keep his job.

Laporta has held initial talks with the Dutchman and his agent and is set to hold a further round of discussions in the near future after the head coach finished his first campaign in charge.

The president is said to have asked him to wait for a verdict while he looked at alternative options to fill the role.

Laporta faced questions at a news conference after speculation he would look to pursue Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola after the Champions League final.

Former Barca player Xavi, currently in charge of Al Sadd in Qatar, has also been heavily linked with the job.

"Ronald has a contract and that gives him peace of mind that he should not be rushed into a decision," Laporta said. "We spoke calmly with him. 

"He had an episode that took him to hospital and he routinely gets checked up. He gave us a scare, especially thinking that a year ago he had a heart attack. I told him to take it easy.

"We spoke with respect. We will sit down with Ronald next week and we will decide after outlining all the aspects.

"Out of respect we owe Koeman, he has a current contract and don't rule it out [that he stays]. We are talking.

"We [the new board] arrived halfway through the season and said we would give our evaluation of the coach at the end of the season and communicate our decisions then.

"We've always worked with the maximum respect for Ronald Koeman. Of course, the admiration we have for him as the player who won us the European Cup at Wembley, and he still has a contract in place.

"At the end of the season we will evaluate his time here and make decisions accordingly. We spoke to Koeman and will continue to do so when making important decisions."

Adding to the complexity of the situation, Koeman's agent Rob Jansen - via his own Twitter account and that of agency Wasserman - appeared to hit out at Laporta.

"Imagine: I want to marry you, but I have doubts," he posted. "Give me two weeks to find a better partner. If I can't find the right person, we will get married anyway!"

A statement from Wasserman added: "The words of FC Barcelona's president Joan Laporta during a press conference today about Ronald Koeman's anxiety attack are overdone.

"Ronald has been to the hospital for blood pressure checks, a routine check for people with his medical history. We regret the way it got into the media. Ronald is fine, there is nothing to worry about."

Barcelona call time on Koeman tenure

Koeman replaced Quique Setien in August 2020 but has failed to make an impact at Camp Nou as he battled with Barca's dire financial situation, which led to Lionel Messi departing for Paris Saint-Germain.

Barca sit ninth in LaLiga after 10 games and Wednesday's defeat to Rayo Vallecano proved the final straw.

That loss followed on from a 2-1 home reverse at the hands of Real Madrid in El Clasico, with Koeman's vehicle mobbed by an angry group of Barca supporters after that match. 

Barca's form in the Champions League has also been poor. The Blaugrana lost 3-0 to Bayern Munich and Benfica respectively in their opening matches, before clinching a 1-0 home win over Dynamo Kiev.

It is the first time Barca have opened with two losses in the competition, while the defeat to Benfica also inflicted back-to-back group game losses in a single season for the first time since 2000-01, with only Louis van Gaal (five) losing more such matches at Barca's helm than Koeman (three).

After each passing poor result, Koeman has conceded his future is out of his hands, though he argued the performance against Rayo did not befit the result.

Yet Barca's board decided to cut ties, with their decision confirmed early on Thursday morning local time.

"FC Barcelona has relieved Ronald Koeman of his duties as first team coach," a club statement read.

"The president of the club, Joan Laporta, informed him of the decision after the defeat against Rayo Vallecano. Ronald Koeman will say goodbye to the squad on Thursday at the Ciutat Esportiva.  

"FC Barcelona wishes to thank him for his service to the Club and wishes him all the best in his professional career."

Koeman had endured a strained relationship with club president Joan Laporta since the former's election.

When elected in March, Laporta made it clear that Koeman was not a part of his long-term plans and the relationship has deteriorated from then on, despite suggestions at one point of a new contract for the Dutchman.

Barca will face Alaves in LaLiga on Saturday as they bid to salvage their position in the table without Koeman.

Barcelona claim another Clasico triumph over Real Madrid

Just 48 hours after Xavi mastered a 4-0 rout at Santiago Bernabeu, the Femeni followed suit at Estadio Alfredo di Stefano; Alexia Putellas scoring twice as they came from behind to record a 40th consecutive win in all competitions.

Despite enjoying 57 per cent of the first-half possession, Barca trailed at the break after Olga Carmona struck in the eighth minute for the hosts, who also hit the post through Esther Gonzalez.

That was only the second goal the reigning champions had conceded in this season's Champions League – and first since their 5-1 rout of Arsenal in September.

But the visitors, who last suffered defeat when they were beaten 4-3 by Atletico Madrid in June 2021, responded in the 53rd minute; Putellas slotting home from 12 yards after VAR ruled that Carmona had fouled Caroline Hansen in the box.

The Blaugranes completed the turnaround nine minutes from time, Claudia Pina drilling home after the ball ricocheted kindly into the substitute's path.

Putellas then wrapped up the victory deep into stoppage time; rounding off a quickfire counter with her seventh goal in the competition - and seventh in six appearances against Madrid.

Barcelona climb to second in LaLiga with resounding home win over Getafe

Raphinha opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a fine breakaway goal before Joao Felix, Frenkie de Jong and Fermin Lopez wrapped up a comfortable win, which puts Xavi’s side a point above Girona who play on Monday night.

Getafe created the first real opening when Mason Greenwood cut inside onto his left foot at the edge of the penalty area and sent a low drive goalwards, which was well saved by Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.

Barca – who drew 1-1 away to Napoli in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday – took the lead in the 20th minute.

Raphinha ran onto a chipped pass behind the Getafe defence from right-back Jules Kounde and took the ball on into the area before dispatching a low shot into the bottom left corner.

The Brazilian then turned provider as his cross was almost turned in by Ilkay Gundogan, who just could not connect.

Raphinha missed a chance to double Barca’s lead five minutes before half-time when he was sent through on goal again, but this time crashed the ball over with Joao Felix in space for a square pass.

Getafe almost snatched an equaliser ahead of the break when defender Omar Alderete’s long-range strike saw Ter Stegen make an acrobatic catch.

The visitors made a bright start to the second half with Luis Milla seeing his curling shot pushed onto the post by Ter Stegen.

Barca, though, soon scored again in the 53rd minute.

Andreas Christensen was sent clear on the overlap down the right and his cross back through the penalty box was swept in by Felix.

Before Getafe could regroup, Barca had the ball in the net through Robert Lewandowski’s shot on the turn after being played in by Raphinha, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

Barca did get a third in the 61st minute.

De Jong pushed forwards and exchanged passes with Raphinha before drilling the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area.

With 15 minutes left, Getafe forward Borja Mayoral fired just wide before Barca added a fourth in stoppage time when Lopez tapped into an empty net after Vitor Roque’s effort was saved.

Barcelona confirm Carrasco clause as part of Memphis transfer

Atleti announced the signing of Depay on Friday on a two-and-a-half-year deal after Diego Simeone's side agreed to pay Barca €3million up front with a possible €1m in add-ons.

LaLiga leaders Barca included a non-compulsory purchase option for Atletico winger Carrasco, who is in his seventh season as an Atleti player, either side of a short stint in China.

Reports from Spain suggest Barcelona will have to hand over €20m should they wish to sign the 29-year-old Belgium international.

Carrasco has played in 23 of Atletico's 26 games this season, 15 of those starts, and has the fifth-most goal involvements with five – four goals of his own and one assist.

Atleti have already allowed Joao Felix to join Chelsea on loan for the rest of the season during the January transfer window, while Matheus Cunha made the switch to Wolves.

Barcelona dealt injury blow with Olmo out for five weeks

The 26-year-old appeared to suffer muscle discomfort after scoring in Sunday's 4-1 league win at Girona and was substituted in the 61st minute.

Olmo, who signed from RB Leipzig for €55million, missed the first two games of their season due to registration issues but has played in all three since.

He has netted three goals in those appearances, with only Robert Lewandowski netting more so far (four).

Olmo's injury is a blow to Hansi Flick's side as they begin their Champions League campaign against Monaco on Thursday, having already made a perfect start to LaLiga, with five wins from five.

The Spaniard is set to miss at least six games up to the October international break.