REUTERS/Bruna Casas
Anthony Gordon made his competitive debut for Barcelona as the Catalan giants opened up their 2026/27 La Liga campaign with a convincing victory against Elche. The Spanish media have had a lot to say about the Englishman following his performance.
Barcelona cruised to a 5-0 victory at Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero as they kicked off their league campaign in style. Raphinha (2), Karim Adeyemi and Fermin Lopez (2) were all on the scoresheet for the away side.
Gordon, who signed for the club in a £70m move from Newcastle United this summer, was named on the bench for the match. He entered the fray in the 65th minute and he produced an eye-catching display.
Spanish Media Give Verdict on Anthony Gordon's Debut Performance vs Elche
REUTERS/Bruna Casas
It didn't take long for Gordon to make an impact after coming on against Elche. In the 67th minute, he set up Raphinha, who made no mistake from close range.
Gordon recorded another assist in the 70th minute, unselfishly rolling the ball across goal for Lopez to tap into an empty net.
SofaScore gave Gordon a rating of 7.6/10. As well as producing two assists, he was successful with all 13 of his passes and won his only ground duel.
He did miss a big chance, though. The 25-year-old had a golden opportunity to get off the mark for the club but his tame effort from inside the box was easily saved.
Despite that error, the Spanish media have been full of praise for Gordon. AS wrote: "The Englishman's debut couldn't have been more fruitful, providing two assists. His generosity is undeniable.
"Gordon's two assists led to the third and fourth goals. First, he set up Raphinha for 3-0, then delivered a perfectly weighted pass that allowed Fermin to make it 4-0. It was the sort of assist that arrived gift-wrapped, complete with ribbon and a flourish."
SPORT gave him a rating of 8/10, writing: "The moment he stepped onto the pitch, he delivered a brilliant assist to Raphinha, who made it 3-0. His introduction, as we saw in the Gamper Trophy match, always makes a difference.
"It was a very good match from Barca and several standout players, despite the circumstances. But it was a great debut from Gordon, with two assists in five minutes."
While Mundo Deportivo described his performance as 'dazzling', 'outstanding' and 'unstoppable in space.'
Anthony Gordon Speaks Out After Debut
REUTERS/Pablo Morano
Gordon, who has also been praised by Barca fans for his performance, spoke to the media after his side's comfortable victory. He said: "It was the perfect start. Five goals scored, no goals conceded. I'm very happy and thought we played some lovely football, scored some great goals and, more importantly, I thought the defenders made some excellent last-minute challenges and blocks, so overall extremely good."
He added: "I feel so good. I feel so good since I've arrived. I said in the interview then that the guys have made me feel so welcome. I feel at home already; the city is amazing, the people are so friendly and I think I will get better and better the longer I'm here."
Gordon spoke highly of teammate Adeyemi, who was also making his debut. "It's always about the team first, especially with this club, but big congratulations to Kareem because he put in a great performance," he said. "He got his first goal, he worked really hard in some defensive transitions, so I'm really happy for him."