Barcelona 2-1 Athletic Bilbao: Yamal and Lewandowski fire Los Cules to victory over visitors

Barcelona continued their perfect start to the new La Liga season, securing a 2-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao at the Barcelona Olympic Stadium in their inaugural home match of the 2024/25 campaign. This triumph marked their 23rd consecutive home league match without defeat against the Basque side.

The initial phases of the encounter presented a captivating tactical contest, which somewhat dampened the excitement that neutral spectators might have anticipated. It was not until the middle of the first half that either team managed to generate a significant opportunity to score.

A moment of brilliance from Pedri was necessary to break the deadlock, as his exquisite, lofted pass was met with an acrobatic attempt by Raphinha, whose shot was comfortably saved by Alex Padilla.

Athletic found themselves trailing shortly thereafter, when a partially cleared free kick fell fortuitously to Lamine Yamal, whose curling shot deflected off Inigo Lekue's head and into the net.

At this stage, the Athletic goal was under considerable pressure, and Barcelona should have doubled their lead ten minutes before the interval, when Robert Lewandowski created space for himself in the box and struck the post.

This missed opportunity proved costly just before halftime, as Pau Cubarsi fouled Alejandro Berenguer in the penalty area.

Lewandowski's concerns were confirmed moments later when Oihan Sancet confidently converted the penalty, sending Marc-Andre ter Stegen the wrong way.

Lewandowski must have been contemplating what further actions he needed to take to capitalize on his initial two-goal performance against Valencia, as he once again struck the woodwork early in the second half, directing a header from Raphinha’s cross onto the post while Alex Padilla remained stationary.

However, the adage that "third time's a charm" held true for Lewandowski 15 minutes before the final whistle.

On this occasion, Padilla inadvertently assisted him by deflecting Pedri’s cross directly into the path of Poland’s all-time leading scorer.

The outcome was inevitable, as Lewandowski confidently dispatched the ball into the net with his left foot from 12 yards out.

Ernesto Valverde would have certainly anticipated a more vigorous response from his team, yet they struggled to penetrate the hosts' defense for a second equalizer. Consequently, Barcelona experienced little difficulty in securing the victory, maintaining their unbeaten streak in home La Liga openers since 2010.

Meanwhile, Athletic Club continues to seek their first league victory of the season, which they will aim to achieve in their upcoming match against Valencia.