FC Barcelona have made a flying start to their La Liga title defence after beating Athletic Club 2-0 in a match played on Thursday night at Spotify Camp Nou.
The victory takes Barcelona to six points after winning their opening two matches of the 2026/27 season, with the defending champions sitting at the top of the standings on goal difference.
Raphinha Opens the Scoring
Barcelona dominated proceedings and took the lead in the 37th minute through Raphinha.
The forward received a pass from Pedri, dribbled past goalkeeper Unai Simón and calmly finished into the Athletic goal to put Barcelona 1-0 ahead.
Athletic had opportunities to equalise but failed to make the most of their chances. Oihan Sancet came close when his effort struck the crossbar, while Barcelona's goalkeeper remained solid.
At the other end, Unai Simón was a major reason Athletic did not concede more goals, making several important saves to keep Barcelona's attack at bay.
Match statistics showed Barcelona enjoyed 70 per cent possession and registered 22 shots compared with Athletic's five.
Fermín López Seals the Victory
After the restart, Barcelona continued to control the game while Athletic searched for an equaliser.
In the 82nd minute, Barcelona doubled their lead through Fermín López after a mistake by defender Aymeric Laporte gave him the opportunity to finish a move initiated by Karim Adeyemi. The goal secured a 2-0 victory and eased any late pressure on Barcelona.
Rodri Begins His Barcelona Career
The match was also a special occasion for midfielder Rodri, who made his official Barcelona debut after coming on in the second half.
Head coach Hansi Flick introduced Rodri as a substitute, allowing the new midfielder to begin his Barcelona career with a victory in his first La Liga appearance.
Lamine Yamal also continued to pose a threat to the Athletic defence, forcing Simón into important saves and hitting the crossbar with one of his efforts.
Barcelona Top the Table
The victory takes Barcelona to six points from two matches, following their 5-0 win over Elche in their opening fixture before beating Athletic 2-0. Overall, the champions have scored seven goals and conceded none in their first two games.
Barcelona will now turn their attention to their next match against Rayo Vallecano, with Flick's side already showing early signs that they are ready for another title challenge.
For Athletic Club, the defeat leaves them without a point from their opening matches, despite showing positive spells and relying on Simón to prevent an even heavier loss.
