FC Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 2-0 at Camp Nou on Thursday, August 27, to maintain their perfect start to the new La Liga season.
Raphinha opened the scoring in the first half before substitute Fermin Lopez sealed the victory late in the second half, giving the Spanish champions six points and a 7-0 goal record from their opening two league matches.
Hansi Flick's side entered the fixture following a 5-0 away win against Elche on the opening weekend. Athletic Bilbao arrived at Camp Nou looking to recover from a 3-1 home defeat to Sevilla in their first match of the campaign.
First half dominance
Barcelona dominated possession from the opening minutes at Camp Nou, though the host team initially saw several early attacking moves halted by offside decisions.
The hosts created their first clear opportunity in the 19th minute when Lamine Yamal struck a powerful shot from distance, forcing Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Unai Simon into a fine save. Raphinha then headed against the post shortly afterwards, before Yamal sent the rebound wide of the target.
Barcelona continued to press, and Pedri thought he had opened the scoring in the 29th minute. However, the midfielder's effort was disallowed after an offside was spotted in the buildup.
Raphinha broke the deadlock in the 37th minute to reward Barcelona's pressure. The Brazilian collected a precise pass from Pedri, dribbled past Simon, and placed the ball into the net.
Yamal missed a chance to extend the lead before the break when he chose to shoot directly at Simon instead of passing to an unmarked Anthony Gordon, leaving the score 1-0 at half-time.
Simon thwarts second half attacks
Barcelona maintained their attacking intensity after the restart, with Yamal hitting the crossbar as Simon faced constant pressure in the Bilbao goal.
Simon produced another save in the 62nd minute to deny Fermin Lopez. The goalkeeper kept Bilbao within one goal after an hour of play, despite Barcelona creating enough opportunities to lead by four or five goals.
Athletic Bilbao almost equalized against the run of play in the 75th minute when Oihan Sancet struck a long-range shot against the post.
Fermin Lopez doubled Barcelona's lead in the 82nd minute, capitalizing on a defensive error from Bilbao's Aymeric Laporte to turn the ball into the net.
Simon made a final save late in the match to stop Karim Adeyemi from scoring a third, ensuring the contest ended 2-0.
Club background
FC Barcelona are the reigning La Liga champions, having won the title in Spain's top football division. Athletic Bilbao, one of Spanish football's historic clubs, play their home fixtures at the San Mames stadium in Bilbao.
