Barca show their teeth in first comeback of the season as Yamal and Raphinha shine

Three games, three different versions of Barcelona – and three victories.After a pragmatic 5-0 win over Elche and a controlled 2-0 triumph against Athletic Bilbao, Hansi Flick's side finally had to respond after falling behind against Rayo Vallecano.They did so in spectacular fashion.BARCELONA 5 – 2 RAYO VALLECANO FULL HIGHLIGHTS 🔥🎥• Next Up – Valencia at Mestslla pic.twitter.com/xu7YDRrD7f— T^24 (@t00la244) August 31, 2026 Rayo stunned the hosts when Sergio Camello finished off a rapid counter-attack, but Barcelona needed just nine minutes to turn the game around. Raphinha and Lamine Yamal struck within 100 seconds of each other, putting the Catalans back in control.Raphinha's goal was a piece of individual brilliance, as he dribbled past Pate Ciss before finding the net. Then came Yamal's moment.The teenage superstar fired into the top corner to score his 50th goal for Barcelona, becoming the youngest player in the history of Spain's top flight to reach that milestone for a single club.𝑳𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒀𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒍 𝑵𝒂𝒔𝒓𝒂𝒐𝒖𝒊 𝑬𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒂. ✍️ LALIGAHighlights | VUELVELALIGA pic.twitter.com/Nk19aUpI6P— LALIGA (@LaLiga) August 31, 2026 Barcelona eventually pulled away after an own goal from Lejeune, although Rayo refused to disappear. Camello scored again to make it 3-2 and could even have completed a hat-trick as the champions briefly looked vulnerable at the back.Flick responded by sending on Rodri and Fermin Lopez, before Raphinha and Gordon settled the contest. Raphinha then completed his brace, while Yamal added the finishing touch to make it 5-2.The victory keeps Barcelona alongside Real Madrid at the top of the table, with both giants maintaining perfect records after three rounds.There is also an intriguing individual battle developing. Kylian Mbappe scored his fourth goal of the season for Real Madrid the previous day, only for Raphinha to respond with two of his own and move onto five.##NAJAVA_MECA_9930297##And then there is Yamal.After a difficult spell since his injury against Celta Vigo in April, the 19-year-old finally had a night to smile about again.Barcelona's season is gathering pace, and so is the race at the top.LA LIGA – MATCHDAY 3FridayRacing Santander – Elche 3-2 (3-0)/Zabiri 15, 21, 36 – Sangare 78, Nino 79/Alaves – Villarreal 1-0 (1-0)/Boye 31/SaturdayLevante – Real Betis 5-2 (2-2)/Dela 24, Bardeli 45+1, Brugue 56, 70, Olasagasti 90+5 – Bartra 34, Riquelme 45+4/Real Sociedad – Espanyol 2-1 (1-1)/Barrenetxea 4, Oskarsson 61 – Fernandez Jaen 45/Sevilla – Atletico Madrid 1-3 (0-3)/Sierra 66 – Baena 4, 33, Lookman 26/SundayReal Madrid – Malaga 4-0 (3-0)/Bellingham 19, Herrero 26 og, Mbappe 30, Guler 90+1/Deportivo A Coruna – Valencia 3-1 (2-1)/Tarrega 13 og, Aubameyang 17, Diakhaby 59 og – Sadiq 26/Celta Vigo – Athletic Bilbao 0-2 (0-2)/Berenguer 20, Navarro 22/MondayOsasuna – Getafe 1-0 (1-0)/Budimir 45+2(p)/Barcelona – Rayo Vallecano 5-2 (2-1)/Raphinha 19,71, Yamal 21,90 – Camello 12, 59/