Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao faced off at the Camp Nou on Sunday in a highly anticipated La Liga clash. Both teams came into the match in good form, with Barca unbeaten in their last five league games and Bilbao having won their last two.
Barca were the clear favorites heading into the match, and they started brightly, dominating possession and creating several chances. However, Bilbao was well-organized and defended resolutely, and the home side was unable to find a breakthrough in the first half.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Barca continuing to press for the opening goal. They finally got their reward in the 78th minute, when 17-year-old substitute Marc Guiu fired home from close range after good work from Ansu Fati.
Bilbao pushed for an equalizer in the closing stages, but Barca held on to secure a valuable three points. The result moves them up to second place in the table, two points behind leaders Real Madrid.
Barcelona:
Barca started the match in their usual 4-3-3 formation, with Ansu Fati, Robert Lewandowski, and Raphinha leading the line. Xavi Hernandez made just one change to the team that beat Inter Milan in the Champions League in midweek, with Sergio Busquets replacing the injured Frenkie de Jong in midfield.
Barca dominated possession from the start, and they created several chances in the opening half. However, they were unable to break the deadlock, with Bilbao goalkeeper Unai Simon making a number of good saves.
Barca continued to press for the opening goal in the second half, and they finally got their reward in the 78th minute through Marc Guiu. The 17-year-old substitute fired home from close range after good work from Ansu Fati.
Barca held on to secure a valuable three points, which moved them up to second place in the table.
Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona:
Bilbao started the match in a 4-4-2 formation, with Inaki Williams and Oihan Sancet leading the line. Ernesto Valverde made three changes to the team that beat Valencia in La Liga in midweek, with Yuri Berchiche, Mikel Vesga, and Ander Herrera coming into the side.
Bilbao defended resolutely in the first half, and they were able to keep Barca at bay despite conceding possession. However, they were unable to create any clear-cut chances of their own.
Bilbao continued to defend well in the second half, but they were eventually undone by Marc Guiu’s late strike. They pushed for an equalizer in the closing stages, but Barca held on to secure a valuable three points.
Match analysis:
Barcelona were the clear favorites heading into the match, and they started brightly, dominating possession and creating several chances. However, Bilbao was well-organized and defended resolutely, and the home side was unable to break the deadlock in the first half.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Barca continuing to press for the opening goal. They finally got their reward in the 78th minute, when 17-year-old substitute Marc Guiu fired home from close range after good work from Ansu Fati.
Bilbao pushed for an equalizer in the closing stages, but Barca held on to secure a valuable three points.
Conclusion:
Barcelona secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao in La Liga on Sunday, thanks to a late strike from 17-year-old Marc Guiu. The Catalan giants dominated possession and created several chances throughout the match, but were unable to break the deadlock until the 78th minute when Guiu fired home from close range. The result moves Barca up to second place in the table, two points behind leaders Real Madrid.