Barcelona sporting director Deco has said that a striker is “not a priority” for the club despite recent links to Erling Haaland and Viktor Gyokeres.

Deco affirmed the club’s faith in current number nine Robert Lewandowski, who is in form with 14 goals and two assists after 13 games in LaLiga this season.

Gyokeres, by comparison, has 16 goals and one assist in the Primeira Liga while, despite a dip in form, Erling Haaland has 12 goals in the Premier League this season.

Barcelona, however, are “happy” with Lewandowski and hope he will lead the line in the Catalonian capital for another season at least.

"First we have to know whether Haaland is what we want for the future. We don't know that now,” Deco told El Mundo Deportivo.

"At the moment we don't want any 'nine.' We have Robert. We are not planning anything with any 'nine.' It's not a priority because we have to focus on this season."

Lewandowski leads the Barcelona squad for shots (38) and shots on target (26) in the league, indicating the 36-year-old is still maintaining pace at the top level.

He leads the league for goals with Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior coming closest to matching his tally, trailing by six goals.

"I think it's very difficult to find a striker like Robert nowadays. There are one or two of this level. Maybe Haaland or another one. There are not so many of this level available,” explained Deco.

"But we are not going to get hung up on finding any striker now because we are going to focus first on what Robert can do. I surely think he is happy to be here. He is a winner and if we have a big season I think he will want to stay.

"We want Robert to continue to be happy, to score goals and to stay at least one more season."

While the Pole is without a goal in two games, Barcelona’s rumoured target Gyokeres has not faltered.

The Swede caught global attention in Sporting CP’s recent Champions League clash with Manchester City, producing a hat-trick to help his team to a shock 4-1 win.

He accumulated an expected goals (xG) total of 2.41 in the match, accounting for most of Sporting's overall 2.87xG.

"Gyokeres is a good player. He has been scoring goals for some time in Portugal. We know him as we know others, but it's not a priority for us right now,” said Deco.

"When the time comes to make a decision and I have to make it because I am the one at the club, we will consider the options. But I don't think it's the right time to talk about any player."

Spain will be without star winger Lamine Yamal for their upcoming Nations League games against Denmark and Switzerland.

Yamal starred for La Roja at Euro 2024 and has been exceptional for Barcelona so far this season.

The teenager has already provided a LaLiga-leading seven assists this term, while his 12 goal contributions rank joint-third in Spain's top tier, behind club-mates Robert Lewandowski (16) and Raphinha (13).

Yamal has also attempted (84) and completed (34) more dribbles than any other player in LaLiga in 2024-25, while Barca's two league defeats have come in matches in which the attacker did not start; a 4-2 loss at Osasuna in September, and a 1-0 defeat to Real Sociedad on Sunday.

Indeed, injured Yamal was left out of Hansi Flick's squad against La Real, and Spain have now called up Bryan Gil in his place, and Barcelona confirmed on Monday that the 17-year-old has suffered a grade one high ankle sprain, and will be out of action for up to three weeks.

Luis de la Fuente's team are top of their Nations League group, with 10 points from their four matches.

La Roja face Denmark on Friday before hosting Switzerland on November 18. 

Should Spain collect one more win from their final two matches of 2024, then they will set a new national record for the number of victories in all competitions in a single calendar year. surpassing the 10 they managed in 2009.

Barca also confirmed that Lewandowski will need 10 days out of action after suffering a back injury, meaning he will sit out Poland's matches against Portugal and Scotland.

Barcelona crushed rivals Real Madrid 4-0 in the first Clasico of the season to move six points clear at the top of LaLiga and halt Los Blancos' year-long unbeaten run.

Madrid entered Saturday's game hoping to equal the longest unbeaten run in LaLiga history – a streak of 43 games set by Ernesto Valverde's Barcelona between 2017 and 2018.

However, they were blown away in front of a stunned Santiago Bernabeu crowd as Robert Lewandowski scored twice in two second-half minutes, with Lamine Yamal and Raphinha later joining him on the scoresheet.

While Carlo Ancelotti's side slumped to their first league defeat since September 2023, Hansi Flick's Barca made a statement regarding their title aspirations, recording their 10th win in 11 games this campaign.

Madrid were on the front foot early on, though they were continually caught out by Barcelona's offside trap. Mbappe dragged one shot wide after going too early, then saw another shot clawed off the line by Inaki Pena before the flag went up again.

Mbappe broke clear to chip Pena on the half-hour mark, but his celebrations were short-lived as the flag went up once more. 

The momentum switched after half-time, though, and Barca made the breakthrough nine minutes after the restart as Lewandowski took in Marc Casado's pass before finishing low from the edge of the area.

Lewandowski had his second just over two minutes later, directing a wonderful header into the bottom-right corner after being picked out by Alejandro Balde.

Madrid desperately sought a response as Pena denied Mbappe with a one-on-one save, while Lewandowski missed two golden chances for a hat-trick, clipping the post with the goal gaping then blazing over from a tight angle.

But Barca did get their third when Raphinha sent Yamal racing into the box and the 17-year-old lashed his shot inside Lunin's near post.

And things got even better with six minutes to play as Raphinha got in on the act, dinking a shot over Lunin after latching onto Inigo Martinez's searching pass. 

A sky full of stars

Ahead of Saturday's game, each of Barca's last five head coaches had lost their first match in charge against Madrid (Xavi, Ronald Koeman, Quique Setien, Valverde and Luis Enrique), since Gerardo Martino oversaw a 2-1 win in his first Clasico in 2013.

However, Flick bucked that trend as Barca made it a perfect week, having also routed their boss' former club Bayern Munich 4-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Lewandowski dragged them clear with his quickfire double, and he now has 10 goals in 16 career games against Madrid in all competitions, though these were his first strikes against them in LaLiga.

Yamal and Raphinha then added some gloss to the scoreline. The latter is one of just three players to register at least five goals and five assists in one of Europe's top five leagues this campaign (six goals, six assists).

The match stats were all in Barca's favour, painting the picture of a dominant display. The visitors had 15 shots to Madrid's nine, got seven of those on target and accumulated 2.45 expected goals (xG) to Los Blancos' 1.48.

Donning their Coldplay-sponsored kits, it really was a sensational Clasico display from Barca, who face Espanyol next as they bid to put further distance between themselves and the chasing pack.

Madrid caught out as unbeaten run ends

Having gone 42 games unbeaten in LaLiga since a 3-1 defeat to rivals Atletico Madrid last year, Madrid were chasing a slice of Spanish top-flight history on Saturday.

With bottom club Valencia up next for Ancelotti's men, this felt like the final real obstacle between them and the outright record unbeaten run in LaLiga. 

However, just like Bayern in midweek, Madrid continually struggled to spring Barcelona's aggressive offside trap, with Flick's bold out-of-possession approach paying off again.

Madrid were caught offside eight times in the first half – their joint most on record (since 2003-04) in a single LaLiga match, equalling their tally against Celta Vigo in March 2013.

Mbappe alone was caught offside eight times, the most by any player in a single game in Europe's top five leagues since Karim Benzema against Eibar in November 2018.

Hansi Flick hailed his "brilliant" Barcelona players as they look to further their advantage at the LaLiga summit against rivals Real Madrid on Saturday. 

Flick watched on as he helped his side end a run of six-straight Champions League defeats against Bayern Munich with a stunning 4-1 victory in midweek. 

Barcelona are now unbeaten in their last four games in all competitions, scoring 17 goals in those matches, but they face a stern test at the Bernabeu to keep that run going.

Los Blancos produced an equally impressive Champions League display, coming from two goals down to beat Borussia Dortmund 5-2, inspired by Vinicius Junior's hat-trick.

Flick will be managing his first competitive game as a coach against Real Madrid, and has been impressed with his side's ability to understand his way of playing.

"We have our ideas. Our philosophy is to press high and make it hard for the opponent to play out. Too much space between the lines doesn't work for us," Flick said.

"The players are brilliant and continue to adapt from game to game.

"The changes have worked, I believe in the team, they have so much quality and that’s what we want to see."

Flick will also be looking to become the first Barcelona coach since Gerardo Martino in 2013 to win their first official Clasico. 

The Barcelona coach also heaped praise on Lamine Yamal for his performances this season, with the 17-year-old preparing for his fourth Clasico against Real Madrid. 

Yamal made his 10th start in the Champions League in Barca's win over Bayern, becoming the youngest player at the time of doing so in the competition’s history (17y 102d).

He has also impressed in LaLiga this term, notching 10 goal involvements (four goals, six assists), a total only bettered by Robert Lewandowski (14) in the division.

"Specifically for the game against Bayern I wanted him to do one thing among many that he needed to do, which was to press (Alphonso) Davies from the last line into midfield because we knew how important he was when he started to attack," Flick said.

"Yamal is a fantastic player with the ball, you could all appreciate that against Bayern.

"It’s an honour to see what Lamine did for all of us and it’s important that he can improve as a defender. And he’s doing that very well."

Robert Lewandowski's first-half hat-trick got Barcelona back to winning ways in LaLiga with a 3-0 victory away at Deportivo Alaves on Sunday.

Barcelona started brightly but were denied a fifth-minute lead as Raphinha's dinked finish over Antonio Sivera was ruled out for offside.

However, just two minutes later, Lewandowski headed home from a Raphinha free-kick, and the pair linked up again in the 22nd minute, with the forward finishing off a lightning-quick counter-attack by the Brazilian. 

Lewandowski completed his hat-trick in the 32nd minute, netting his 10th league goal of the campaign, doing well to guide it into the net as he took a tumble.

Toni Martinez had a first-half goal disallowed by VAR for the hosts, and also struck the post just after the break before Joan Jordan's late header was chalked off following a review.

Barcelona, who move three points clear of Real Madrid at the top of LaLiga, could have had more, but Alaves were indebted to Sivera, who stood strong, making six saves to keep the scoreline down.

Data Debrief: Lewandowski's flying start continues

Lewandowski has settled back into life under Hansi Flick since the German's move to Barcelona, and his numbers do all the talking.

He sits top of the LaLiga goalscoring charts already, and he scored the fourth-earliest hat-trick by a Barca player in LaLiga, netting his three goals within 32 minutes.

It is the sixth time that Barcelona have collected 24+ points from their opening nine games of the campaign, and they secured the title at the end of three of the previous five.

Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Barcelona thrashed Young Boys 5-0 on Tuesday, bouncing back from their opening Champions League defeat at Monaco.

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).

Robert Lewandowski's first-half strike proved enough as LaLiga leaders Barcelona overcame Getafe 1-0 on Wednesday.

Hansi Flick's side were wasteful at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, but ultimately got over the line to make it seven league wins out of seven matches to start the season.

Barca were without a glut of stars due to injury, with Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who is set to be out for the rest of the season, joining Dani Olmo, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Ronald Araujo, Fermin Lopez and Andreas Christensen on the treatment table.

The Blaugrana also rested Pedri, though his absence was not felt as Lewandowski pounced on David Soria's error to put the hosts ahead after 19 minutes.

Barca had 16 attempts in total and mustered 1.92 expected goals, yet could not find a second to put the result beyond all doubt.

Winless Getafe, though, could not make Barca pay as they slipped to a fourth defeat of the season.

Data Debrief: Lewy breaks Getafe duck

Lewandowski's winner was his first goal against Getafe in LaLiga, at the fourth attempt. He had seven shots across his previous three league appearances against them without finding the net.

Flick, meanwhile, is the third Barca coach to win his first seven LaLiga games, after Gerardo Martino in 2013 and Ernesto Valverde in 2017.

Getafe coach Jose Bordalas, on the other hand, has lost 10 of his 13 games against Barca in LaLiga (W1 D2). Only against Real Madrid (11) has he suffered more defeats in the competition.

Jude Bellingham lauded yet another landmark moment in the career of Kylian Mbappe after the Frenchman marked his Champions League debut for Real Madrid with a goal. 

Mbappe, who has five goals in his first seven games for his new club, opened the scoring in Los Blancos' 3-1 win over Stuttgart on Tuesday. 

The 25-year-old's effort saw him net his 49th Champions League goal, with only Robert Lewandowski (61) scoring more in the competition since Mbappe's debut. 

He also became the second Frenchman to score on his debut for Madrid in the competition, joining Christian Karembeu who netted against Bayer Leverkusen in 1998. 

Bellingham explained how quickly Mbappe has settled into life in the Spanish capital, saying: "He's going to be a huge player for us, this season and beyond.

"He always delivers so far, it's a lot of pressure coming to a club like Madrid, but he's taken to it really easily and the lads love him already."

The encounter against Stuttgart also marked Bellingham's return to the side after the England midfielder missed the last four games with a muscle injury. 

Upon his return, Bellingham won more tackles (two) and accumulated the highest pass accuracy (93.3%) of anyone in the Los Blancos side. 

Across all competitions last year, Bellingham made 42 appearances, notching 23 goals and laying on a further 13 assists in his debut year at the Santiago Bernabeu. 

Having also starred for England at Euro 2024, the 21-year-old was excited to be back out on the pitch and is aiming for more success this term. 

"Three-and-a-half weeks [out] has been difficult. I've not been injured a lot in my career, so whenever it happens, I'm a bit impatient," he said.

“But this time I wanted to take it slowly and agreed this would be the game I came back in – maybe off the bench – but I was buzzing to start.

"In the first half I left it all out there, I was that excited and all over the place, just wanting to create and get in the box.

“Second half, I probably just ran out of a bit of steam, so I stayed a little bit deeper, but I'm getting used to being back, finding my feet again and I'm sure I'll be fine this season."

Barcelona president Joan Laporta insists Ilkay Gundogan's exit was a sporting decision rather than a financial one, despite claims to the contrary from the midfielder.

Gundogan joined Barca as a free agent last year after helping Manchester City win a Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble, only to return to the Etihad Stadium last month.

In a farewell post on social media, Gundogan claimed Barca's financial concerns were at least partly responsible for his return to England.

Barca have struggled to meet LaLiga's strict salary cap rules in recent seasons and would reportedly have failed to register new signing Dani Olmo if not for Gundogan's exit.

Laporta, however, has refuted those claims, instead suggesting Olmo's move from RB Leipzig made Gundogan's place in Hansi Flick's tactical plans unclear.

"The decision on Gundogan's departure was not made because of economic factors," Laporta told reporters. 

"He was an excellent player and person in the year he had here with us. With all due respect, we decided on a sporting level. 

"Following the signing of Dani Olmo, the role of Gundogan was not clear, because they shared a very similar position."

Barcelona have made a flying start to their first campaign under Flick, winning all four of their matches to sit top of LaLiga, boasting a four-point lead over Real Madrid.

The Blaugrana have previously started 10 seasons in LaLiga with four straight victories, going on to capture the title in nine of those instances and only failing in 2013-14, when Atletico Madrid were champions.

Robert Lewandowski leads the goalscoring charts with four strikes in as many games, sitting one clear of team-mate Raphinha – who netted a hat-trick in Saturday's 7-0 rout of Real Valladolid.

Laporta has revealed Lewandowski offered to take a wage cut in order to help Barca meet LaLiga's rules and has backed his third season in Spain to be his best yet.

"I see Robert as more motivated than ever. Robert needed this new boost, he is in very good physical shape and he looks very excited," he said.

"He is a player committed to the club, I can assure you of that. When he heard that to reach 'fair play' we might need some effort, he offered his contract. I appreciated it very much, but I told him that it was not necessary. 

"He is very demanding with the team, with himself and with his team-mates’ performance. I am sure that this will be Lewandowski's best year."

Raphinha's first career hat-trick helped Barcelona remain perfect in LaLiga as they thumped Real Valladolid 7-0 at Camp Nou.

A commanding display saw Barcelona enter the international break top of the table as Hansi Flick became the first head coach of the club to win each of his first four league games in charge since 2017-18. 

Brazilian Raphinha opened the scoring with 20 minutes on the clock, beating Karl Hein with a deft finish after being picked out by Pau Cubarsi.

The hosts entered the interval with a three-goal advantage as Robert Lewandowski struck his fourth of the season before Jules Kounde picked out the top corner in the second minute of added time.

Raphinha grabbed his second of the game just after the hour, completing his maiden treble eight minutes later with another fine finish. 

Dani Olmo later marked his home debut with his second goal in as many games for his new club, with Raphinha then turning provider for Ferran Torres to complete the emphatic display. 

Data Debrief: Seventh heaven for Barcelona

Raphinha's treble was the first of his career across Europe's top five leagues, scoring two goals for the second time for Barcelona, having done so in April 2024 against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Lamine Yamal, meanwhile, has now been involved in 14 goals in 42 appearances in LaLiga (six goals and eight assists), the most by a player before turning 18 in the competition in the 21st century, surpassing Bojan Krkic (13 - 10 goals and three assists).

It also marked Barcelona's biggest win in a LaLiga match since since April 2016 against Deportivo La Coruna at Riazor (8-0) and their biggest home win in the competition since March 2014 against Osasuna (also 7-0).

Cristiano Ronaldo will be honoured with a special award as the Champions League's all-time leading goalscorer.

Ronaldo's achievements in the competition will be recognised during the Champions League 2024-25 draw, which will take place in Monaco on Thursday.

Over the course of 18 years, Ronaldo netted 140 goals in 183 Champions League appearances, 11 more than Lionel Messi in second place, and 46 clear of Robert Lewandowski in third.

The 39-year-old's first goal came in his fourth season in the competition, netting twice in Manchester United's 7-1 quarter-final victory over Roma in April 2007.

The following season, Ronaldo won his first Champions League title, proving an integral part of United's winning team as he scored eight times, including their only goal in the final against Chelsea.

He would go on to win four more titles with Real Madrid, enjoying his most prolific campaign during the first of those successes as he netted 17 times, a competition record, in 11 appearances in 2013-14.

The pick of Ronaldo's Champions League goals came during the longest scoring streak in the competition's history (11 games between June 2017 and April 2018), as he scored an outstanding overhead kick against Juventus in the quarter-finals.

The Portuguese forward was also the first five-time winner of the competition and finished as top-scorer on seven separate occasions, including six in a row between 2012 and 2018.

His final campaign in the competition saw him score six times in seven appearances on his return to Manchester United, hitting the back of the net in his first five group games.

"Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the brightest stars in the UEFA Champions League constellation," said UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin. "His extraordinary goal-scoring achievements in the competition seem destined to stand the test of time, posing a remarkable challenge for future generations to surpass.

"His sustained excellence at the highest level is a testament to his relentless pursuit of both team and individual honours. Over more than two decades, he has continuously evolved and refined his game while preserving a youthful passion for scoring and celebrating goals.

"His professionalism, work ethic, dedication, and ability to shine on the grandest stage are qualities that football players everywhere should aspire to emulate."

Hansi Flick labelled Robert Lewandowski the ultimate professional after his second-half winner earned Barcelona a 2-1 triumph over Athletic Bilbao. 

Lewandowski, who spent two seasons under Flick at Bayern Munich, notched his third goal of the new LaLiga season after Oihan Sancet cancelled out Lamine Yamal's deflected opener. 

The Pole netted 83 goals in 71 matches in all competitions between 2019 and 2021, winning eight major titles during Flick's time in charge, which included the Champions League.

And despite turning 36 three days ago, Flick is confident that his star striker can help Barca reclaim their league crown from rivals Real Madrid. 

"I know Robert (Lewandowski) really well and I don't think he has returned to form because that's how I have always seen him as a player," Flick told DAZN.

"I'm happy with him because it's not only the goals he scores, it's his collective effort, the way he dedicates himself to pressing high and very effectively. 

"Physically, he is 100%. He is a total professional, who takes fitness very seriously.

"He knows how to handle pressure and we saw that after the equaliser in the second half. He is a great player."

While Lewandowski received many plaudits for his goal-scoring exploits, Flick was also quick to praise Raphinha for his dynamic display in attacking midfield. 

The Brazilian registered the most touches in the opposition box (nine), with his 19 passes into the final third a total only bettered by Pedri (21). 

He also won more duels (nine) than any other Barcelona player, with Flick believing his versatility will be a huge asset as the season progresses. 

"Rafa can play in any attacking position. He can play as a 10, or he can change positions, he is phenomenal in pressing," Flick said.

"We needed someone like him as we are still missing some players."

Barcelona will look to maintain their unbeaten start to the league season when they travel to Rayo Vallecano on Tuesday before returning to the Nou Camp to take on Real Valladolid next weekend. 

Robert Lewandowski smashed home a rebound to earn Barcelona a 2-1 win against Athletic Bilbao in an absorbing LaLiga clash on Saturday.

A deflected strike by teenager Lamine Yamal in the 24th minute gave Barca the lead.

The visitors levelled in the 42nd minute when Oihan Sancet struck home from the penalty spot after defender Pau Cubarsi fouled Alex Berenguer inside the box.

Lewandowski, who had struck the woodwork in either half in his attempts to double Barcelona's tally, scored the winner in the 75th minute from a rebound by the goalkeeper, striking a first-time effort to give the hosts their second win in as many games.

Barcelona are level with Celta Vigo at the top of the LaLiga standings with six points. Athletic are 15th with one point from two matches.

Data Debrief: Young guns star

Just like in their opening match, it was Lewandowski who was the match-winner for Barcelona, with his 75th-minute goal on Saturday proving the difference.

However, it was Yamal who proved the standout performer for Barcelona. Among players born since 2005, only Mathys Tel (17 - 12 goals, five assists) has more goal involvements in the top five European leagues than him (12 - six goals, six assists, the same as Desire Doue, seven and five).

Meanwhile, Sancet became the third-youngest Athletic player to reach 25 goals in LaLiga in the 21st century at 24 years and 121 days, behind Fernando Llorente and Iker Muniain.

Robert Lewandowski saluted the character demonstrated by Barcelona's young side, after they came from behind to beat Valencia 2-1 in their opening match of the LaLiga season.

A depleted Barca trailed at the Mestalla to Hugo Duro's 44th-minute header, but Lewandowski struck either side of half-time to complete the turnaround in Hansi Flick's first competitive match in charge.

With the Blaugrana missing several key players including Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, Ronald Araujo and Ilkay Gundogan, Flick handed a senior debut to 20-year-old Marc Casado, who joined 17-year-olds Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi and Marc Bernal in the starting line-up.

Nevertheless, the visitors recovered from their slow start, and Lewandowski was thrilled by the youngsters' exploits. 

"It was very important to start with a win in such a difficult stadium and with the problems we faced," he told Movistar Plus.

"We didn't play well for the first 20 to 25 minutes. In the first half, we had problems getting close to their box, but then we started playing much better, and we did it with three or four very young players.

"If you can win like this with such young players, it is something special and they have shown big potential. No signs of the lack of experience, they played very well with possession and without the ball.

"We could have won by a larger margin, but it's great to start the season with a win." 

Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Hansi Flick's depleted Barcelona side came from behind to beat Valencia 2-1 in their opening game of the season in LaLiga.

Barca were without several key players including Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, Ronald Araujo and Ilkay Gundogan for their first competitive game under Flick, and they were put under intense pressure in the first half at the Mestalla.

Valencia produced an energetic display and hit the front after 44 minutes as Hugo Duro headed Diego Lopez's delivery past Marc-Andre ter Stegen from close range.

Duro almost doubled Los Che's lead when he saw an effort cleared off the line in first-half stoppage time, and Barca immediately went up the other end to level.

Lewandowski tapped home a cross from Euro 2024 breakout star Lamine Yamal five minutes into first-half stoppage time, then doubled up shortly after the break.

Raphinha was felled inside the area by Cristhian Mosquera, allowing Lewandowski to blast an unstoppable penalty into the top corner for what proved to be the winner.

Data Debrief: Flick off to flying start

Flick looked likely to endure a difficult start to his Barca reign when Valencia penned his team back in the first half, but Lewandowski netted twice in four minutes either side of half-time to flip the encounter on its head.

Flick is the third German to coach Barca in LaLiga after Hennes Weisweiler and Udo Lattek, and all three won their first match at the helm.