Liga: FC Barcelona held in check on the lawn of Athletic Bilbao (1-1), Memphis Depay opens his counter in La Liga

Barça did very well at San Mames. In great difficulty for 75 minutes, then led after a goal by Iñigo Martinez (50th), the Catalans snatched a point on a superb action from Memphis (75th). A draw that does not really reflect the physiognomy of a match largely dominated by the Basques, who did not know how to take shelter. Barcelona showed serious deficiencies in the game, and lost Pique to injury. Eric Garcia has been kicked out.

Expected at the turn after their victory against Real Sociedad (4-2), the Culés were dominated by a great team from Athletic. Yet they are the ones who offered themselves the first situation of the meeting, but after an excellent job from Memphis on the right side, Braithwaite completely missed the frame (6th). After this fear, it was the Basques who showed their superiority. Interesting in the game and aggressive in pressing, they thwarted a Catalan team in great difficulty on the restart. Sancet hit the bar (10th), and Iñaki Williams’ poison made Barça’s rearguard tremble more than once. As if that were not enough, Gerard Pique came out injured (31st).

Barça for a long time mistreated

By dint of suffering, Barcelona logically ended up cracking. Araujo miraculously saved his people on his line (46th), but Iñigo Martinez finally delivered a San Mamés who found his supporters. The Spanish international defender got the better of Eric Garcia on a corner, before placing a superb uncrossed header (1-0, 50 ‘).

A goal that did not awaken the Barcelona, ​​long listless in the game. It took a flash of genius to get out, so the technical leaders took their responsibilities. Frenkie De Jong, with a clever lob, found the bar (74th), before Memphis Depay took matters into his own hands. Served on the left, the former Lyonnais took the ball from the chest before equalizing with an overpowering strike (1-1, 75th). The Dutchman offered himself a nice goal, his first in official competition in the blaugrana tunic. A fair reward for the most prominent man in the Catalan attack.

Eric Garcia’s ordeal

As we were heading for a draw between two blunt teams, Eric Garcia received a logical red for a delayed tackle on Nico Williams (90th + 3). The end of a long Stations of the Cross for the former Manchester City defender, who had a difficult evening. Courageous to have played this match (he lost his grandfather shortly before the game), Garcia was dominated on the Basque goal. No doubt there will be better days for him.

This does not end the worries of a Barça in full reconstruction. Pedri, overused by the various Spanish selections this summer, logically faltered, and we cannot say that the Griezmann-Memphis-Braithwaite association displays for the moment a great complementarity. Ronald Koeman will see more clearly when he has recovered Ousmane Dembélé, Ansu Fati and Sergio Agüero in a few weeks. For its part, Athletic had a promising match and followed up a second draw, after the 0-0 collected in Elche.