Barcelona continued their perfect start to the 2026/27 La Liga season with a 2-0 victory over Athletic Club at the Spotify Camp Nou on Thursday night, with Raphinha and Fermín López finding the net to secure another three points for Hansi Flick’s side.
The result saw Barcelona make it two wins from two league matches following their impressive 5-0 victory over Elche in their opening fixture. The Catalan giants once again demonstrated their attacking quality, although Athletic goalkeeper Unai Simón produced an outstanding performance to prevent the hosts from winning by a much wider margin.
The match was also significant for Barcelona because of Rodri’s long-awaited competitive debut for the club. The Spanish midfielder came off the bench in the second half as Flick introduced one of his biggest summer additions to the Camp Nou crowd.
Barcelona started brightly and immediately looked to impose their possession-based football on Athletic. The hosts moved the ball quickly across the pitch, while their attacking players repeatedly looked to exploit spaces behind the visitors’ defensive line.
Lamine Yamal was among the first Barcelona players to threaten, forcing Simón into action with a dangerous effort. The Athletic goalkeeper would go on to play a crucial role throughout the evening as Barcelona continued to create opportunities.
Raphinha also came close before eventually finding the breakthrough. The Brazilian headed against the post midway through the first half, while Yamal’s follow-up effort was deflected wide.
Barcelona’s pressure finally paid off in the 37th minute.
Pedri produced an excellent through ball to release Raphinha behind the Athletic defence. The Brazilian captain showed impressive composure, rounding goalkeeper Unai Simón before calmly rolling the ball into the empty net to give Barcelona a 1-0 lead.
The goal continued Raphinha’s excellent start to the season. He had scored twice in Barcelona’s opening-day victory over Elche and was once again on the scoresheet, taking his early-season league tally to three goals.
Barcelona could have doubled their advantage before half-time. Yamal found himself in a promising position, but Simón made another important save to keep Athletic in the contest.
Athletic returned for the second half with hopes of finding an equaliser, but Barcelona continued to control the game. Lamine Yamal struck the crossbar, while Anthony Gordon and other Barcelona attackers continued to test the visitors’ defence.
Athletic’s biggest opportunity came when Oihan Sancet found space inside the penalty area and produced an effort that beat Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García but struck the post. It was a huge moment for the visitors, who came agonisingly close to restoring parity.
Flick then made changes to strengthen his side, with Rodri entering the game to make his official Barcelona debut. The arrival of the highly decorated midfielder was greeted enthusiastically by the Camp Nou supporters and added another major talking point to an already memorable evening.
Despite Barcelona’s dominance, Athletic remained within touching distance until the closing stages. Simón continued to make saves, but his impressive resistance was finally broken in the 81st minute.
Barcelona’s second goal came after Athletic defender Aymeric Laporte made a costly defensive mistake. Karim Adeyemi’s involvement helped create the opportunity before Fermín López capitalised on the loose ball and fired home to make it 2-0.
The goal effectively settled the contest and gave Barcelona the breathing space they had been searching for.
Fermín’s strike also continued his impressive start to the campaign. Like Raphinha, he had already scored in the opening-day victory over Elche, meaning both players have now reached three league goals after two matches.
Barcelona continued pushing for a third goal during the closing stages, but Athletic’s defence managed to prevent further damage. The visitors had battled hard, but Barcelona’s quality ultimately proved decisive.
The 2-0 victory means Flick’s side have collected six points from their opening two league matches while scoring seven goals and keeping two clean sheets. The defending champions have therefore made a strong statement at the beginning of their title defence.
Raphinha once again stood out as one of Barcelona’s most important attacking players. His movement, work rate and ability to finish chances have made him a key figure in Flick’s system, particularly with the Brazilian continuing to operate in an advanced role.
The night also belonged to Fermín, who once again demonstrated his ability to arrive in dangerous positions and make an impact when Barcelona need him most.
For Athletic Club, the defeat was another difficult result after losing their opening league fixture. They defended with determination for long periods and were kept alive by Simón’s heroics, but Barcelona’s relentless pressure eventually proved too much.
For Barcelona, however, the message is clear. Two matches, two victories, seven goals scored and no goals conceded represent an excellent beginning to the new campaign.
With Raphinha firing, Fermín continuing to deliver and Rodri now officially part of the squad, Barcelona have plenty of reasons for optimism as Flick’s side continue their pursuit of another La Liga title.
