VALENCIA, Spain -- Hansi Flick said Barcelona were not at their best after surviving a scare in a 4-2 win over Levante on Sunday, which continued their perfect start to the LaLiga season.
Xavi Espart opened the scoring after five minutes at the Estadio Ciudad de Valencia before a Lamine Yamal brace helped the Spanish champions into a three-goal lead.
Late strikes from Iván Romero and Roger Brugué brought Levante back into the game, but a stoppage time solo effort from substitute Karim Adeyemi sealed the points for Barça.
"It was not our best game," Barça coach Flick said in the post-match news conference. "We had a great start, but then in the second half we struggled a little bit. We have to be calmer at 3-0.
"Of course, to survive this game helps us to improve. We have situations we have to make better. We will tell this to the team and go on to the next match."
Despite Flick's complaints, the victory continued Barça's fine start to the new campaign. They have won all five of their games in LaLiga to open up a three point lead over Real Madrid at the top of the table.
They also began their Champions League campaign with a 5-1 win over Feyenoord in midweek and, in total, have now scored 26 goals in just six games.
"It seems the games have been easy, but it's not that they have been easy, we have just played well," Flick added.
Teenager Espart opened the scoring with his first goal for Barça, converting inside the box after a dominant start from Barça.
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Yamal added the second from close range after good work from Raphinha in the 19th minute and then scored his seventh goal of the season from the penalty spot early in the second half.
Roared on by the home crowd, Levante fought back, with Romero capitalising on an Espart error with over 10 minutes to go and Brugué netting in the 88th-minute to force a nervy finale.
"The first goal was my fault," Flick said. "It was my fault because we wanted to make a change, but I said to wait until the next break -- and then it happens.
"We will analyse this match and see what we have to do better. It's about positioning, passing, connections between the players. This is what we are looking for and we want to make them better for the next game."
Substitute Adeyemi sealed the win in stoppage time, scoring a brilliant individual goal after beating three Levante players.
It was the ex-Borussia Dortmund forward's third goal for Barça since joining in the summer, casting the spotlight on Anthony Gordon, who is yet to get off the mark for his new club.
"Of course this is the situation at the moment with Anthony," Flick said when asked if Gordon is frustrated at his wait to open his account.
"He gives us a lot, such as ball control with the ball and to keep possession. This is important. I am happy.
"As striker, you want to score. Hopefully it's very soon that he scores, because it helps him also to arrive. But I am happy, I appreciate what he gives us."
Barça return to action on Wednesday when they host Racing Santander in LaLiga, followed by a trip to Sevilla next weekend before domestic football stops for an extended international break.
