Barcelona secured a 2-0 victory against Athletic Club in their first home match of the La Liga season on Thursday. Raphinha scored the opening goal in the 37th minute, rounding goalkeeper Unai Simon after receiving a through ball from Pedri. Fermin Lopez added a second goal in the 82nd minute following a defensive error by Aymeric Laporte, finishing from inside the box.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick made three changes to the lineup that won 5-0 against Elche in the season opener, giving Anthony Gordon his full debut and including Pau Cubarsi and Pedri in the starting eleven. Newly-signed Rodri was on the bench for this match.
The match saw Barcelona controlling the majority of the play and creating more scoring opportunities, although Simon made several crucial saves to keep Athletic Club in the game. Lamine Yamal had a curling effort saved in the 18th minute, and Raphinha hit the post shortly after. A goal by Pedri was disallowed for offside in the 29th minute.
After halftime, Lamine struck the crossbar with a powerful shot in the 53rd minute. Rodri made his debut for Barcelona in the 62nd minute. Athletic Club nearly equalized in the 75th minute when Oihan Sancet hit the post from outside the box.
With this win, Barcelona has accumulated six points from two matches, placing them level with Real Madrid, Betis, and Sevilla at the top of La Liga. Athletic Club and Real Sociedad have yet to earn a point this season.