Barcelona Defeat Athletic Bilbao 2 to 0 in LaLiga
You watched Raphinha and Fermin Lopez score to give Barcelona a 2- 0 victory over Athletic Bilbao on Thursday. The Catalan club completely dictated their first home match of the LaLiga season at Camp Nou. This victory keeps manager Hansi Flick and his squad perfect with two wins in their opening two fixtures. Barcelona controlled the tempo and created the most dangerous scoring chances. Manager Hansi Flick made three direct changes to the starting lineup that defeated Elche 5-0. You saw Anthony Gordon receive his full debut on the pitch. Pau Cubarsi and Pedri also stepped into the starting eleven to replace previous starters. New midfield acquisition Rodri began the match sitting on the bench. The home side applied heavy pressure immediately. Athletic goalkeeper Unai Simon kept his team competitive by making several crucial saves. Simon denied a curling strike from Lamine Yamal in the 18th minute with a quick one-handed block. Raphinha then headed a Xavi Espart cross directly into the post just six minutes later. A potential Pedri goal was cancelled for offside in the build-up in the 29th minute. The opening goal arrived in the 37th minute. Pedri placed a precise pass straight through the Athletic defence. Raphinha collected the ball, rounded Simon, and finished into an empty net. Raphinha has now scored three goals in two games while operating as a centre forward. The club still wants to sign a dedicated specialist striker before the summer transfer window closes.  Right before halftime, Simon stopped another close-range attempt from Lamine. Athletic players loudly demanded a red card after Lamine physically challenged defender Aymeric Laporte. The referee and the video assistant referee reviewed the play but took no further action. Barcelona maintained their attacking pressure after the halftime interval. Lamine hit a powerful shot against the crossbar in the 53rd minute. Rodri entered the match in the 62nd minute to make his official club debut. The midfielder recently joined Barcelona from Manchester City after winning the World Cup with Spain in North America. Athletic almost levelled the score in the 75th minute. Oihan Sancet struck the post with a fierce shot from outside the penalty area. Barcelona finalised the result in the 82nd minute. Laporte completely missed his attempt to clear a low cross from Karim Adeyemi. Fermin Lopez controlled the resulting loose ball inside the box and drove it past Simon. The result puts Barcelona at six total points. They sit exactly level with Real Madrid, Betis, and Sevilla at the very top of the league standings. Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad remain stuck at the bottom with zero points.
