Barcelona continued their strong start to the 2026/27 La Liga campaign with a convincing 2-0 victory over Athletic Club at Camp Nou on August 27. The defending champions controlled much of the match, collected another clean sheet and moved to the top of the table.
Raphinha opened the scoring in the first half before Fermín López added a second late in the match. The result gave Barcelona two wins and two clean sheets from their opening two league games, following their impressive 5-0 victory over Elche.
Raphinha Puts Barcelona Ahead
Barcelona started brightly and created several opportunities during the opening stages. Lamine Yamal tested Athletic goalkeeper Unai Simón, while Raphinha also came close before eventually finding the breakthrough.
The Brazilian forward struck in the 36th minute after receiving a superb pass from Pedri. Raphinha rounded off the move with a left-footed finish from close range to give Barcelona a 1-0 lead.
Barcelona continued to threaten before halftime, with Raphinha hitting the post and Yamal forcing another save from Simón.
Athletic Club Struggle to Create Chances
Athletic Club found it difficult to produce consistent attacking pressure during the first half. The visitors registered some opportunities after the interval, but Barcelona remained largely in control.
Oihan Sancet came closest to equalising when his shot struck the post in the 74th minute. That moment briefly gave Athletic hope of rescuing a result.
However, Barcelona responded strongly and eventually put the game beyond doubt.
Fermín López Seals Barcelona Victory
With Athletic attempting to find an equaliser, Barcelona scored a crucial second goal in the 81st minute.
Fermín López finished from close range to make it 2-0, giving Barcelona breathing room in the closing stages. The goal followed a defensive mistake from Athletic involving Aymeric Laporte.
Athletic could not find a response, and Barcelona comfortably protected their advantage through the final minutes.
Rodri Makes Barcelona Debut
One of the notable moments of the night was the Barcelona debut of Rodri. The midfielder joined the Catalan club from Manchester City during the summer in a deal reportedly worth €76.5 million ($89 million). After fitness concerns, he finally entered the match from the bench in the second half.
His arrival adds another major option to Barcelona’s midfield as the club looks to defend its domestic title and compete in Europe.
Barcelona Maintain Perfect Start
The victory means Barcelona have won both of their opening La Liga matches. They began their title defence with a 5-0 win over Elche before following it up with the 2-0 triumph against Athletic Club.
Barcelona also recorded 70 percent possession and 10 shots on target against Athletic, underlining their control of the contest.
Athletic, meanwhile, have endured a difficult beginning to the campaign. After losing 3-1 at home to Real Betis in their opening fixture, Edin Terzic’s side suffered another defeat and sat bottom of La Liga after two games.
What’s Next for Barcelona?
Barcelona will return to La Liga action on Monday when they host Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou. The match is scheduled to kick off at 19:30 GMT. They will then travel to Valencia for their next league fixture on September 6.
The Catalan giants will also have European ambitions this season, with Champions League meetings against teams including Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain awaiting them.
In short, Barcelona’s 2-0 win over Athletic Club highlighted their early-season strength: Raphinha is already finding the net, Fermín López delivered another important goal, and the champions have yet to concede in La Liga this season.
Leave a Reply