Barcelona continued their flawless start to the La Liga season on Thursday, securing a 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao at the partially-rebuilt Camp Nou. The win was anchored by goals from Raphinha and Fermin Lopez, keeping the Spanish champions in strong form during their opening campaign fixtures.
Raphinha broke the deadlock in the 37th minute after being played through by Pedri Gonzalez. The Brazilian forward skillfully rounded goalkeeper Unai Simon before slotting the ball into the net. The hosts dominated much of the play, though they were twice denied by the woodwork. Raphinha had previously headed against the post from a Xavi Espart cross, while Lamine Yamal also saw an effort rattle the crossbar during the second half.
Fermin Lopez eventually sealed the result in the 82nd minute. The goal followed a defensive error from Aymeric Laporte, who inadvertently nudged a cross from substitute Karim Adeyemi past his own goalkeeper, allowing Lopez to tap into an empty net. Despite the scoreline, Barcelona missed several opportunities to extend their lead, including a late point-blank effort from Adeyemi that was saved by Simon.
Manager Hansi Flick made three adjustments to the starting lineup that defeated Elche 5-0 last weekend. Anthony Gordon earned his first start for the club, while Pedri Gonzalez returned to the midfield and Pau Cubarsi was deployed in defense. Raphinha continued to operate as a makeshift number nine, a role he has filled following the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, despite the club’s unsuccessful attempts to sign Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid.
The match also marked the debut of former Manchester City midfielder Rodri, who entered the game as a substitute. “Very happy to play my first game, happy with the victory, we’ve got two from two,” Rodri told DAZN. “It’s important to keep building up rhythm and adapting to this great team. My first minutes and (I had some) good feelings.”
Rodri also praised the performance of teenage winger Lamine Yamal, who showed significant improvement after a difficult outing against Elche. “Maybe Lamine came from a moment where he was a bit down and today we tried to help him get back up and saw his best version, even though he didn’t score,” Rodri noted. “The goals will come because the talent is there.”
Athletic Bilbao struggled to create consistent threats, though they did come close when Oihan Sancet struck the post during a rare attacking venture. For Barcelona, the victory ensures they remain on track, with the team looking to integrate new arrivals like Gordon and Rodri while maintaining their defensive stability under Flick’s leadership. The report also notes that raphinha, Lopez strike again as Barca beat Athletic. The report also notes that and Lopez netted after 82 minutes to secure the points, with the Catalans missing several chances for more goals and twice hitting the woodwork, raphinha rounded the goalkeeper and slid home in the 37th minute to give Barca the lead. The report also notes that yamal, still not at his best level since suffering a hamstring injury in April, hit the crossbar with an effort from the edge of the box. The report also notes that leaving 10 Spaniards and Gordon on the pitch for Barca, flick sent on former Manchester City midfielder Rodri for his debut in midfield. The report also notes that and Rodri said that the forward is improving, yamal’s second half performance was an improvement on a disappointing opening 45 minutes and his struggles against Elche.
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