Barcelona celebrated their return to Camp Nou with an emphatic win over 10-man Athletic Bilbao this afternoon.
After a wait of 909 days to play at their revamped home, Barca wasted little time in settling in to their surroundings with first-half goals from Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres putting them in control.
Fermin Lopez added a third shortly after the break and Athletic’s meek challenge was ended completely when Oihan Sancet was sent-off after 53 minutes for a poor tackle on Fermin.
The outstanding Torres provided the gloss with a late fourth as Barca moved level on points with leaders Real Madrid, who play Elche tomorrow.
Barcelona onslaught starts early
Despite missing the likes of Pedri and Gavi through injury, and the suspended Frenkie de Jong, Barca came out firing and Lewandowski had a shot inside the opening seconds.
The veteran Pole was causing all sorts of issues for the Athletic backline and only a brilliant block by Aymeric Laporte prevented him converting Torres’ centre three minutes later.
He wasn’t to be denied a third time. Athletic made a mess of clearing the ball and Lewandowski shifted the ball on to his left foot and fired into the corner, although Athletic goalkeeper Unai Simon will be disappointed after getting a good hand to the shot.
The goal prodded Athletic into action and Alex Berenguer ought to have done better than mis-control at the far post.
Nico Williams – a long-time Barca target – then threatened with a curling effort that drifted wide of the returning Joan Garcia’s upright.
Simon redeemed himself partially with a fine block to deny Fermin with Dani Olmo firing the rebound wide after 21 minutes.
Torres then saw an effort ruled out for offside before Unai Gomez threatened at the other end, firstly with a shot that was well saved by Garcia and secondly with an effort that flew over the bar.
A Williams goal would have caused much consternation and it nearly arrived after 42 minutes but the Spain winger flashed a shot inches wide instead of on target.
His international team-mate Torres showed him how it should be done in first-half stoppage time. The former Manchester City man latched on to a sublime pass from Lamine Yamal and slotted under Simon.
Dismal Athletic crumble in second half
Former Barca boss Ernesto Valverde would have been a busy man at the break but whatever he said had zero effect as Barca effectively ended the contest within four minutes of the restart, Fermin firing home after being played in by Eric Garcia.
Sancet’s frustration got the better of him and he was rightly dismissed for a poor tackle.
Yamal and Torres almost conjured up a fourth, the latter firing straight at Simon before hitting the rebound against the bar, although the offside flag had already gone up.
Substitute Raphinha almost marked his return to full fitness with a goal only for his shot to graze the post but Barca were not to be denied another, Torres adding his second after another sublime piece of skill from the irrepressible Yamal.
