Barcelona eased some pressure on absent manager Ronald Koeman with a comfortable La Liga victory over winless Levante at the Nou Camp.
Memphis Depay’s sixth-minute penalty gave Barcelona the lead after the Dutch forward was fouled by Nemanja Radoja.
Compatriot Luuk de Jong then raced on to Sergino Dest’s pass to score his first goal since joining on a season-long loan from Sevilla.
Substitute Ansu Fati hit the third on his return from a long-term injury.
Barcelona climb to fifth in La Liga and are five points behind leaders Real Madrid with a game in hand. Real were held by Villarreal on Saturday.
The pressure had been growing on manager Koeman after two wins from five La Liga matches this season had left them well adrift of the early pacesetters.
And although Koeman was absent from the dugout on Sunday, having been dismissed for dissent in Thursday’s goalless draw with Cadiz, his players had little trouble in putting an end to a three-game winless run in all competitions.
Levante failed to register a shot until the 81st minute, while Depay was thwarted by several good saves from Aitor Fernandez.
A return and goal for 18-year-old Fati – wearing Lionel Messi’s number 10 shirt on his first appearance since November 2020 after undergoing knee surgery – completed a fine success.
Line-ups
Barcelona
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1ter Stegen
- 22MinguezaSubstituted forAraujoat 81′minutes
- 3Piqué
- 24García
- 2DestSubstituted forLengletat 89′minutes
- 28González Iglesias
- 5Busquets
- 30Paez GaviriaBooked at 24minsSubstituted forDemirat 81′minutes
- 14CoutinhoSubstituted forPuig Martíat 59′minutes
- 9Depay
- 17de JongSubstituted forFati Vieiraat 81′minutes
Substitutes
- 4Araujo
- 6Puig Martí
- 10Fati Vieira
- 11Demir
- 13Murara Neto
- 15Lenglet
- 23Umtiti
- 26Peña Sotorres
Levante
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Fernández
- 20Miramón
- 15PostigoBooked at 25mins
- 13MustafiSubstituted forSuárez Pierat 77′minutes
- 19ClercBooked at 86mins
- 18de FrutosSubstituted forCanteroat 69′minutes
- 5RadojaSubstituted forMartínezat 55′minutes
- 8GarcíaBooked at 58minsSubstituted forVukcevicat 69′minutes
- 22Melero
- 9Martí
- 21Gómez AlcónSubstituted forMoralesat 55′minutes
Substitutes
- 2Hidalgo
- 3Franquesa
- 4Suárez Pier
- 6Duarte
- 7Blesa
- 11Morales
- 17Vukcevic
- 23Andújar Moreno
- 25Martínez
- 29Cantero
- 37Cuñat
- Referee:
- Isidro Díaz de Mera Escuderos
- Attendance:
- 35,334
Live Text
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Match ends, Barcelona 3, Levante 0.
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Second Half ends, Barcelona 3, Levante 0.
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Attempt missed. Alejandro Cantero (Levante) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Pablo Martínez.
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Attempt missed. Roger Martí (Levante) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Gonzalo Melero.
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Attempt saved. Alejandro Cantero (Levante) right footed shot from long range on the left is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Pablo Martínez.
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Attempt blocked. Riqui Puig (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Ansu Fati.
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Goal! Barcelona 3, Levante 0. Ansu Fati (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner.
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Memphis Depay (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by José Luis Morales (Levante).
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Memphis Depay (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Nikola Vukcevic (Levante).
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Substitution, Barcelona. Clément Lenglet replaces Sergiño Dest.
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Ansu Fati (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by José Luis Morales (Levante).
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Memphis Depay (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Rober Pier (Levante).
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Carlos Clerc (Levante) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Yusuf Demir (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Carlos Clerc (Levante).
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Attempt blocked. Ansu Fati (Barcelona) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Nico González.
