The Japan Times - Yamal double helps Barca beat Levante, Atletico triumph

Hansi Flick's side reestablished their three point lead over Real Madrid at the top of the table, after Los Blancos beat Rayo Vallecano on Saturday.

Atletico Madrid defeated Real Sociedad 3-0 with three late goals to move joint-third.

Xavi Espart opened the scoring for the champions in Valencia with Yamal netting the second and then scoring a penalty early in the second half.

Barca may have a 100 percent record so far from their five games but their defensive frailties were exposed as Ivan Romero and Roger Brugue pulled Levante back into the game in the final stages.

Substitute Karim Adeyemi made the game safe for Barca in stoppage time with a stunning solo goal, breaking through at pace and beating Mathew Ryan.

"It was not our best game of course. We had a great start. In the second half we struggled a little bit," Flick told reporters.

"We have to fight to improve. It's normal, we have situations we have to make better, much better. We'll tell the team and go on to the next match, but with the result I'm happy."

Barcelona defender Eric Garcia said that the team relaxed a bit in the second half and it nearly cost them.

"It was a hard game, we did make it harder for ourselves than it needed to be," Garcia told Movistar.

"But it has to teach us something -- if you give any opponent a bit of breathing room they get on top of you."

The Catalans came flying out of the blocks at the Cituat de Valencia stadium, where Levante were unbeaten in eight matches prior.

The visitors took the lead in the fifth minute, with Levante barely touching the ball before Barca defender Espart found the net.

Barca cut through the middle of Levante's team too easily and the 19-year-old finished from the edge of the box with the help of a slight deflection.

It was Espart's first goal for the club, with the young midfielder brought into the first team this season by Flick and deployed at left-back.

Levante responded with a spell of concerted pressure but Petar Ratkov could not get a proper shot away when well placed and Barca goalkeeper Joan Garcia saved well from Brugue.

Levante soon came to regret those spurned chances when Raphinha created Barca's second for teenage star Yamal.

The Brazilian rounded goalkeeper Ryan and squared for Yamal to smash into the empty net in the 19th minute.

- Paying the penalty -

Yamal claimed his second goal soon after the restart, winning and then converting a penalty.

The Spain winger was hacked down by Aissa Mandi and powered the resulting spot kick past Ryan for his seventh goal in four games across all competitions.

Andreas Christensen cleared Romero's bobbling shot off the line but the forward capitalised on an Espart error to score a few minutes later.

Brugue capitalised on a Marc Bernal error to net the second and create a tense finale.

However, former Borussia Dortmund winger Adeyemi ended the hosts' dreams of a point with a dynamic burst through the defence and then a cool finish to match.

Atletico Madrid beat Real Sociedad with a late flurry of goals.

Diego Simeone's side were without Julian Alvarez, who suffered a muscle injury in training on Saturday, but got back to winning ways after their defeat last weekend by Athletic Bilbao.

Alejandro Grimaldo opened the scoring with a penalty after 84 minutes, before Canada international Jonathan David netted his first goal for the club in the 90th minute.

Giuliano Simeone completed the Rojiblancos' victory deep in stoppage time.

Elsewhere, Celta Vigo were held to a 1-1 home draw by Malaga, while Getafe and Deportivo La Coruna also drew 1-1.

Y.Watanabe--JT