Barcelona Hit Alavés for Six as Raphinha and Yamal Strike Twice in Flick’s Emphatic Response

Barcelona rediscovered their attacking rhythm in spectacular fashion on Saturday, October 31, recording a commanding 6-1 victory over Deportivo Alavés at Spotify Camp Nou.

Hansi Flick’s side delivered a devastating first-half performance, scoring four times before the interval through Raphinha, Fermín López and Lamine Yamal, before adding two more after the break to complete an emphatic victory.

Raphinha opened the scoring in the eighth minute, finishing a flowing team move after Fermín López squared Pedri’s incisive pass into his path.

Barcelona doubled their advantage in the 23rd minute when Yamal set up Fermín, who produced a clinical finish from a difficult angle to beat Alavés goalkeeper Antonio Sivera.

The hosts continued to dominate, with Raphinha grabbing his second goal in the 41st minute after Fermín won possession in midfield and supplied the Brazilian with a precise pass to finish.

Yamal then joined the scoring party in first-half stoppage time, firing a low effort into the bottom corner to send Barcelona into the break with a commanding 4-0 lead.

The Spanish teenager completed his brace in the 64th minute after Gabriel Jesus released him behind the Alavés defence. Although the goal was initially ruled out for offside, a VAR review overturned the decision and awarded Barcelona their fifth.

Anthony Gordon, introduced as a substitute for Yamal, added the sixth in the 81st minute, lifting a composed finish over Sivera after receiving a through ball from Rodri.

Alavés eventually found a consolation goal three minutes later through Mariano Díaz, who capitalised on a defensive error to beat Joan García and prevent Barcelona from keeping a clean sheet.

The result provided a timely response from Flick’s men following their consecutive setbacks against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and Real Madrid in the league, which had brought their nine-match winning start to the domestic campaign to an end.

The victory also carried significant individual milestones. Raphinha’s double took his league tally to 15 goals in just 11 appearances, equalling a remarkable Barcelona benchmark previously achieved by club legends César Rodríguez and Lionel Messi.

Fermín was another standout performer, combining his goal with two assists in an influential display, while Yamal continued his impressive development with another two-goal contribution.

Gordon’s late strike further underlined Barcelona’s attacking depth, while the performance also offered encouragement from the club’s younger players.

Flick had to improvise defensively because of six unavailable players, including four defenders. Brian Fariñas made his first-team debut at right-back, while Frenkie de Jong was deployed alongside Pau Cubarsí in central defence.

Barcelona’s victory restored them to the top of the La Liga standings with 30 points from 11 matches, two ahead of second-placed Atlético Madrid.

The Catalans will now turn their attention to their next Champions League assignment against Aston Villa before resuming their domestic title challenge.

For Flick, the emphatic victory represents an important response to recent disappointments and a reminder of the attacking firepower available to his side.