BARCELONA — Raphinha and Fermin Lopez goals helped Spanish champions Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 2-0 in La Liga to continue their perfect start to the season.
The Catalan giants eased to a solid victory over their Basque visitors in their first game of the season at the partially-rebuilt Camp Nou, with new arrival Rodri coming on for his Barca debut.
Raphinha rounded the goalkeeper and slid home in the 37th minute to give Barca the lead, and Lopez netted after 82 minutes to secure the points, with the Catalans missing several chances for more goals and twice hitting the woodwork.
“Very happy to play my first game, happy with the victory, we’ve got two from two,” Rodri told DAZN.
“It’s important to keep building up rhythm and adapting to this great team. My first minutes and (I had some) good feelings,”Rodri added according to AFP.
Barca coach Hansi Flick made three changes to the team that thrashed Elche 5-0 last weekend, handing Anthony Gordon his first start for the club, while bringing Pedri Gonzalez into midfield and picking Pau Cubarsi in defence.
The German kept Raphinha playing up front as a makeshift number nine, after the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres.
Barca have fruitlessly tried to pry Julian Alvarez away from Atletico Madrid, who will not negotiate with the Spanish champions for the Argentina forward.
However, Raphinha netted twice from his striker’s role against Elche and was on target again for Barca at Camp Nou, giving them a deserved lead at half-time.
“It doesn’t matter which position Rapha plays, as a captain he’s shown total commitment to this team, to this club,” Flick told reporters.
“You can see the supporters are connected with him and it’s really good.”
The Brazilian nodded against the post from Xavi Espart’s cross midway through the first half and Lamine Yamal’s follow-up effort was deflected wide, with Barca controlling the game.
Eventually, they took the lead when Pedri slipped Raphinha through on goal, with the Brazilian rounding Unai Simon and rolling home.
Teenage star Yamal should have doubled Barca’s lead before the interval but Simon made a fine save to deny him, while Gordon complained that he would have had an open goal if the Spain international had knocked the ball across to him.
Gordon arrowed a shot narrowly over early in the second half as Barcelona probed for a second goal.
Yamal, still not at his best level since suffering a hamstring injury in April, hit the crossbar with an effort from the edge of the box. Simon saved twice from Lopez, who netted a brace in the opener.
Flick sent on former Manchester City midfielder Rodri for his debut in midfield, leaving 10 Spaniards and Gordon on the pitch for Barca.
