Barcelona decidedly defeated Athletic Club 2–0 on Thursday to triumph in their first game of the season under the Camp Nou lights.

It was a completely one-sided affair from the starting whistle onward, with Barcelona tilting the pitch in their favor and constantly testing Unai Simón. It took a while for the Catalans to find a breakthrough, but Pedri and Raphinha combined in a beautiful action for the Brazilian to score his third of the season to ease the tepidly growing tension before the break.

Hansi Flick’s men continued to dominate after the restart, but although they created chance after chance, they weren’t as clinical as in their season debut, and the game remained in the balance for long. The biggest scare of the night came when Oihan Sancet slammed the post from distance, putting Barça on alert midway through the second half.

Barcelona kept knocking on the door, and eventually their insistence paid off when Aymeric Laporte made a mess of an attempted back-pass and the ever-opportunistic Fermín López didn’t let him get away with it, tapping in his third goal in two games to double the lead in the dying minutes.

After finishing the 2025–26 season with a perfect home record, Barcelona followed the same script with a convincing win in their return to the Camp Nou. Attention now turns to another home bout against Rayo Vallecano on Monday.

The Moment That Defined the Game

Barcelona dominated from the start, but Flick’s men found it incredibly difficult to break through. The Catalans are known to start fast under the German boss, consistently scoring inside the opening 15 minutes over the past two La Liga seasons.

But when opponents survive the early onslaught, Barcelona can sometimes grow frustrated and lose sharpness, allowing rivals to settle. That was the case on Thursday night, but when Barcelona looked at their least threatening and the game looked destine to go scoreless to the break, Pedri and Raphinha completely changed everything.

The sublime midfielder received the ball near the halfway line, turned away from a marker, accelerated on the pitch and then threaded a beautiful pass for Raphinha, who perfectly timed his run to go through on goal.

The Brazilian looked like a natural striker when he calmly went around a powerless Unai Simón, settled and passed the ball into the back of the net to finally give the hosts daylight 37 minutes into the match. A game that was looking increasingly stuck opened up for Barça thanks to a devastating action from two of their difference-makers.

Against an Athletic club that looked toothless in attack, scoring the first goal was always going to be the most difficult mission. Flick’s men were able to continue their dominance thereafter, but the game could’ve looked much different had it remained scoreless for longer.

Barcelona Player Ratings vs. Athletic Club (4-3-2-1)

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Joan García—7.2: Unlike against Elche, García was forced to display his quality as a sweeper for the first time this season, and he was excellent when required. Two games, two clean sheets for the best goalkeeper in La Liga a season ago.

RB: Eric García—7.5: Completely nullified Nico Williams and that effectively shut down Athletic’s attack. Constantly looked to thread passes behind the backline for Yamal for a second-straight game.

CB: Pau Cubarsí—7.3: The teenager was flawless in his season debut, acing every intervention, putting his body on the line when needed and barely misplacing a pass. The best young player of the World Cup is still in fine form.

CB: Gerard Martín—7.5: A clumsy attempt at intercepting a pass ended up costing his left back a yellow card. He was mostly solid but had a few mistakes he was lucky didn’t cost his side.

LB: Xavi Espart—7.4: Another brilliant showing from the La Masia graduate, who was excellent down the left defensively and also added a valuable extra wrinkle to Barça’s attack. Great understanding with Gordon ahead of him. Unlucky to get booked after Martín’s mistake.

DM: Marc Bernal—7.3: Quiet for the second straight game but Bernal handled his duties without much trouble, starting Barça’s possessions from deep and balancing a team that went all-out attack from the start.

DM: Pedri—8.4: One of those days where Pedri was simply unplayable. The game was played on his terms, and his pass for Raphinha’s opener is one of the best assists of the early season.

RW: Lamine Yamal—8.1: Much better from Yamal, who was significantly more active and energized than in his season debut. He flashed some of his trademarked magic tricks and should’ve opened his season account were it not for Simon and the crossbar. Still, he still lacks sharpness and was guilty for some unnecessary turnovers.

AM: Fermín López—8.1: His incessant movement and clever positioning made him an outlet in dangerous areas all night. It’s because of his tireless movement and nose for the ball that he was in position to pounce to double Barça’s lead.

LW: Anthony Gordon—7.3: Had a bright start with some nice dribbles and a couple of stellar passes that were recognized by the fans in the stands, showing off a less-talked about area of his game. His influence significantly dropped as the game progressed.

ST: Raphinha—8.3: Who needs a natural striker when Raphinha is playing at this level? Another stellar showing for the Brazilian with a nicely-taken goal that opened the scoring.

SUB: Dani Olmo (63’ for Bernal)—7.0: Had a couple of slick passes during his cameo and looked comfortable playing as a false nine.

SUB: Rodri (63’ for Raphinha)—6.4: Settled himself as a shield for the backline during his Barça debut.

SUB: Jules Kounde (80’ for E. García)—6.0: Did well the lone time he was forced to intervene defensively.

SUB: Karim Adeyemi (80’ for Gordon)—6.1: A darting run in the first action of his cameo led to Fermín’s goal. Should’ve scored twice after that, squandering two stellar Yamal passes.

SUB: João Cancelo (85’ for Pedri)—N/A

Subs not used: Wojciech Szczęsny (GK), Eder Aller (GK), Alejandro Balde, Andreas Christensen, Brian Fariñas, Hamza Abdelkarim

What the Ratings Tell Us

• Pedri struggled to consistently perform at his best during the climax of the 2025–26 season and that extended to the 2026 World Cup, looking extremely exhausted after a demanding season. But after a brief time off, the midfield maestro looks fresh and back to his best, dominating early this season. He was the best player on the pitch against Athletic.
• Barring a late acquisition, it seems Raphinha will be Barcelona’s primary center forward this season, and so far the Brazilian is adapting nicely with three goals in two games. Furthermore, Dani Olmo operated as a false nine during his cameo, something Flick has done in the past and that appears to be another alternative for Barça’s lack of a traditional striker.
• One of the biggest signings in Barcelona’s recent history made his debut donning Blaugrana colors: Rodri. The best player of the 2026 World Cup has officially overcome a minor back issue and introduced himself to the Camp Nou. It wasn’t a spectacular cameo, but it was the start of the Rodri era in Catalonia, one that’s skyrocketed expectations.

The Numbers That Explain Barça’s Dominant Home Opener

• Barcelona manufactured 1.34 xG in the first half alone vs. Athletic’s 0.01. The hosts missed two big chances in the first 45 minutes while the visitors registered just one shot.
• The scoreline doesn’t properly reflect Barça’s dominance. The Catalans finished with an xG of 3.90 and missed four of the six clear chances they created.
• The hosts had 10 attempts on goal on the night, meanwhile Athletic Club didn’t force Joan García into a save even once. Total domination.