Barcelona maintained their perfect start to the La Liga season Sunday as Lamine Yamal scored twice in a dazzling display during a 5-0 demolition of Valencia at Mestalla.
The defending champions won their fourth straight league game to move two points clear at the top after Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid suffered a 1-0 defeat at Real Betis on Friday.
Unbeaten Alaves moved into second place with a 5-2 victory over Osasuna, while Valencia remained winless and bottom of the standings after four games.
Fermin Lopez, Raphinha and Pedri also scored for Hansi Flick's Barcelona, who controlled the game from the opening minutes despite playing in a hostile atmosphere at Mestalla.
The result added to the pressure on Valencia's ownership, with thousands of frustrated supporters protesting against the club's leadership and players before and during the match.
Yamal opened the scoring in the sixth minute after Lopez produced a superb lofted pass over the defense. The 19-year-old lifted his finish over the goalkeeper to give Barcelona an early lead.
Yamal appeared to have scored again later in the half when he fired into the near corner, but the goal was overturned after a VAR review for a narrow offside.
Barcelona did not have to wait long for their second.
Lopez doubled their advantage in the 22nd minute with a crisp finish after former Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon created the opportunity.
Barcelona continued to dominate, with Yamal narrowly missing and Lopez striking the post as they repeatedly exposed Valencia's defense.
Valencia had a chance to respond when Danjuma forced a smart save from Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia, but Barcelona remained firmly in control.
Flick's side suffered one setback before halftime when Eric Garcia was forced off after colliding with teammate Rodri's shoulder. Rodri was making his first start since joining Barcelona from Manchester City during the summer.
Raphinha made it 3-0 shortly after halftime, tapping home from close range after Lopez supplied the final pass. It was Raphinha's sixth goal of the season, with the Brazilian again starting as Barcelona's center forward.
Pedri then added a fourth after exchanging passes with Dani Olmo, leaving Valencia with little hope of recovering.
Yamal completed the rout late in the game when he stayed onside to collect another pass from Olmo before calmly finishing for his second goal of the afternoon.
The teenager had missed Barcelona's team training session Saturday after taking a knock but showed no signs of discomfort as he produced one of his most influential performances of the young season.
"We played a fantastic game, it was nearly perfect," Flick said. "We controlled, we were dominant and this is what I want from the team."
Flick also urged his players not to become carried away by their flawless opening.
"We have a very young team, with the right transfers we made, but it's the beginning of the season, it's not the end," he said. "We have to go a long, long way."
New signing Gabriel Jesus made his Barcelona debut during the final 10 minutes and came close to adding a sixth goal, sending a low effort just wide.
For Valencia, the defeat deepened an already difficult start. They have lost their last three games after opening the season with a draw and have scored only once in four matches.
"Conceding a goal so early, on their first or second attack, made everything much more difficult," Valencia coach Carlos Corberan said. "It's a difficult situation that we will navigate together."
The loss also intensified the anger among Valencia supporters.
A few thousand fans gathered outside Mestalla before the game and called the players "mercenaries" while demanding that club president Kiat Lim and owner Peter Lim "go home."
Some ultra groups left sections of the stadium empty at the start of the match. The players and Corberan were booed during the game, while loud jeers greeted them again at the final whistle.
Kiat Lim became Valencia's president in 2025 but was attending a match at Mestalla for the first time Sunday, according to Spanish media.
There were no reports of violence during the protests.
Elsewhere Sunday, Lucas Boye scored a hat trick as unbeaten Alaves crushed Osasuna 5-2 to move into second place.
Boye scored twice from long range, while Mariano Diaz and Pablo Ibanez also found the net for Quique Sanchez Flores' team. Ante Budimir scored twice for Osasuna, who suffered their first defeat of the season.
"I hope we don't take our foot off the gas and we stay in this dynamic, which will take us far," Boye said. "This is a humble team and we will go game by game."
