The England international made an immediate impression after joining the Catalan club from Tyneside during the close season for an initial fee of £70million. The 25-year-old winger provided two crucial passes during his 29-minute appearance from the substitutes bench.
Gordon entered the fray in place of Lamine Yamal with 25 minutes remaining, with Barcelona already leading 2-0. Within moments, the former Newcastle man began causing problems with his speed down the flank. His delivery from the right found Raphinha, who converted to extend the advantage to 3-0.
Minutes later, Gordon raced clear of the Elche defence after being played through on goal. Rather than attempting to score himself, he unselfishly passed to Fermin Lopez, who finished calmly to make it 4-0.
Spanish publications were swift to acknowledge Gordon’s contribution. One outlet described his display as outstanding, while another publication stated his debut could not have been more productive given his two assists and his combination of rapid acceleration with precise decision-making.
The assessment continued that Gordon’s generosity was evident throughout his performance, and his two assists resulted in the third and fourth goals. The first was a cross that Raphinha converted, and the second a carefully weighted pass that allowed Fermin to score. One newspaper characterised the second assist as arriving gift-wrapped with a flourish.
Gordon himself acknowledged the significance of his first competitive match, stating he already felt settled and was delighted with the city. He had previously caught the eye during a 5-2 friendly victory against Basel and collected a pre-season trophy following a win over Al Ahly in the Joan Gamper Trophy.
The only downside for Barcelona during the match was an injury sustained by Gavi.