FC Barcelona claimed their second win of the 2024-2025 LaLiga EA Sports season after beating Athletic Club 2-1 on Saturday in their first match at the Estadi Lluys Companys, where they left a good impression against an opponent who continues to be denied as a visitor by the Blaugranas. Hansi Flick had a good official debut with Barça. After the setback in the Joan Gamper Trophy against AS Monaco, on this occasion his team was at a good level and enjoyed the best chances against the Copa del Rey champions, who tried to hold on supported by the desire of Nico Williams, booed without much noise by the ‘culer’ fans, and the actions of Alex Padilla, but who ended up giving in to the third league goal from a Robert Lewandowski who seems to recover his best scoring form. The final 2-1 did not come until the 75th minute, although the home team perhaps deserved it earlier. Almost always, under the baton of Pedri, the new starting eleven compared to Mestalla, and the work of Raphinha, they gave the impression of controlling the game, especially in the second 45 minutes when Ernesto Valverde’s men were much more dominated and had a much harder time deploying towards Marc-André ter Stegen’s area. And the game also started with the Blaugrana dominating against an orderly Athletic Club that knew how to hold their rival well from the start, as well as threatening as much as possible with Nico Williams. There were not too many chances on either side and it was Barça who struck first with the goal of the other ‘pearl’ on the pitch, Lamine Yamal. The winger drew up his classic left-footed play on the edge of Padilla’s area until he found the space to strike. Íñigo Lekue put his head in and made it impossible for his goalkeeper. Nico Williams was close to responding to his friend’s goal, but the 1-0 did not change the scenario too much, although Flick’s team had more chances to run on the counterattack because Athletic tried to take a step forward. Thus, Lewandowski warned with a powerful cross shot, but the woodwork denied him the goal for the first time. And when the final stretch was reached, Pau Cubarsí, in a possible excess of impetus, brought down Alex Berenguer and the VAR warned Gil Manzano, who did not hesitate to decree the penalty that Oihan Sancet converted into 1-1. LEWANDOWSKI RIGHT Neither Flick nor Valverde changed anything during the break. But FC Barcelona came out determined and dominant, with Pedri taking charge and now turning his game to the left because Yamal had lost some ‘punch’. Lekue suffered on that side and the main problems for the visitors came from that side. Lewandowski hit the woodwork again after a good header that did not wake up Athletic Club, with Nico Williams also less effervescent against the physical power of Jules Koundé. Even so, almost all the danger of the ‘Lions’ came when the winger got the ball, although he lacked finding a teammate, with his brother Iñaki not participating much. The Blaugrana team continued to insist on feeding their Polish scorer, who was relishing the goal when he hit a cross from the left, but who did not count on a great action of reflexes and agility from Padilla, who prevented the 2-1. However, he could not do so when the match entered its final stretch, in another cross from the left, this one from the omnipresent Pedri. The goalkeeper got his hand out and the ball fell once again to Lewandowski, who this time made no mistake to score his third league goal of the season and secure victory because Athletic lacked arguments for a draw and extended their away win against the ‘culers’ to 24 years. LINEUPS. –RESULT: FC BARCELONA, 2 – ATHLETIC CLUB, 1 (1-1, at half-time). –LINE-UPS. FC BARCELONA: Ter Stegen; Koundé, Cubarsí, Iñigo Martínez, Balde (Martín, min.91); Pedri, Bernal (Eric García, min.83), Raphinha; Yamal (Víctor, min.91), Lewandowski and Ferrán Torres (Fermín, min.63). ATHLETIC CLUB: Padilla; Lekue, Yeray, Vivian, Yuri; Vesga (Jaureguizar, min.63), Prados (Herrera, min.78); Berenguer (Ares, min.72), Sancet (Unai Gómez, min.62), Nico Williams; and Iñaki Williams (Guruzeta, min.78). –GOALS. 1-0, minute 24. Yamal. 1-1, minute 42. Sancet, penalty 2-1, minute 75. Lewandowski. –REFEREE: Gil Manzano (C.Extremeño). He admonished Cubarsí (min.41), Bernal (min.48), Lewandowski (min.85) and Fermín (min.96), for FC Barcelona, and Yeray (min.38), Berenguer (min.56), Lekue (min.87), Herrera (min.96) and Jaureguizar (min.96), for Athletic Club. –STADIUM: Lluís Companys.
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