La Liga: For their return to Camp Nou, FC Barcelona cruise to victory against Bilbao

This Saturday was a big day for FC Barcelona . After years of construction, the new Camp Nou finally hosted another Barça match, nearly two years after the last game played in the famous Catalan stadium. It was a gala afternoon that Hansi Flick's men couldn't afford to spoil on the pitch by winning a crucial match against Athletic Bilbao . To achieve this, the German coach opted for an attacking lineup featuring Fermín López, Olmo, Torres, Lewandowski, and Lamine Yamal. On the other side, Ernesto Valverde was determined to spoil the party for his former club and fielded a competitive team including Nico Williams, who is close to joining the Blaugrana this summer. However, from the outset, the Catalans showed a much stronger side.

More incisive in duels and possessing greater technical mastery in midfield, Barça wasted no time in looking dangerous. And on their first opportunity, the Catalans found the breakthrough. Inside the box, Robert Lewandowski beat his defender with a subtle nutmeg before unleashing a left-footed shot. Unai Simon was caught off guard at his near post and couldn't get a firm enough hand to stop the Pole's strike (1-0, 5th minute). Spurred on by a raucous Camp Nou crowd, the Blaugrana continued to press forward. With Fermín López involved in all the good moves and close to doubling the lead (20th minute), the home side thought they had scored a third goal through Ferran Torres, but the Catalan striker was ultimately flagged offside (25th minute). The former Manchester City player was finally rewarded for his tireless runs.

FC Barcelona had fun at their Camp Nou

Played through on a perfectly weighted outside-of-the-foot pass from a rather quiet Lamine Yamal, the Catalan number 7 didn't hesitate and capitalized on another handling error from the disastrous Unai Simon to put his Barça in a comfortable position just before halftime (2-0, 45+2'). After the break, the Catalan club quickly secured their victory. Excellent since the start of the season, and even more so in this match, Fermín López capped off his fine performance by scoring his team's third goal (3-0, 48'). A few minutes later, his dribble triggered a foul by Oihan Sancet, who was guilty of a dangerous tackle on his compatriot (54'). Sent off, the Basque attacking midfielder became a symbol of his team's struggles on Saturday.

The final half-hour of the match was peaceful for Barça. Facing a Bilbao side offering little in attack, exemplified by an apathetic Nico Williams, FC Barcelona could have extended their lead on numerous occasions. But Lamine Yamal (84th, 88th), clearly growing in influence as the game progressed, and Raphinha (81st), immediately after coming on as a substitute, came close to joining the Catalan celebrations. Finally, the fourth goal of the match was scored by Ferran Torres (4-0, 90+1st) after a superb individual effort from Lamine Yamal and a perfect pass to his number 7. Thus, FC Barcelona celebrated their return to the Camp Nou in the best possible way, and this impressive victory allows Barcelona to draw level with Real Madrid in the standings and take the top spot. Bilbao remains in 8th place .