Barcelona secured a deserved 0-2 victory against Athletic Club at San Mamés on Tuesday, maintaining their perfect start to the La Liga season. The Blaugrana, who now have six points from a possible six, showed their superior quality and capitalized on their opponent's mistakes, as reported by Mundo Deportivo.
Terzic's team showed improvement compared to their match against Sevilla last Saturday, but it wasn't enough to trouble a solid Barça. The hosts created little danger, with their only clear chance coming in the 75th minute through a shot off the post by Oihan Sancet. The introduction of Berenguer and Robert Navarro for the Williams brothers injected some energy, but a lack of cutting edge hampered their performance.
Who made the difference for Barcelona?
Pedri and Raphinha, standout players in the Culé lineup, were the scorers of the two goals that decided the match. Barcelona's second goal also came from a mistake by defender Laporte, underlining the constant pressure applied by the visitors. Facing them, Athletic's best player was undoubtedly their goalkeeper Unai Simón, who made interventions of great merit and prevented the scoreline from being more comfortable.
With this win, Barcelona strengthens their lead at the top of La Liga with a full six points from two games. Their season record is emphatic: seven goals scored and zero conceded, for a goal difference of +7. You can check the updated standings on our standings page.
How did Johaneko fare on his debut?
A positive note for the Bilbao side was the debut of full-back Johaneko. The player from Baiona, chosen by German coach Terzic ahead of Adama -the theoretical natural replacement for Yuri- had a good game despite the difficult task of marking Lamine Yamal. Yuri's absence, who did not travel with the team, was another of the absurdities that sometimes surround Spanish football and its committees.
What does this result mean for the season?
The victory confirms Barcelona's excellent form as they approach their next fixture with confidence. The team will play at home against Rayo Vallecano on August 31st, an opponent currently in thirteenth place. All the schedule details are available in our fixtures section. For Terzic and Athletic, however, there is a lot of work ahead. They must urgently improve their offensive performance if they want to collect points consistently.
Barça has started the campaign with a defensive solidity that has yet to see their goal breached. This win at a always difficult ground like San Mamés serves as a statement of intent for the rest of the championship. The squad, which you can review on our squad list, seems to have the focus and quality needed to aim for the top.
