The FC Barcelona side managed by Hansi Flick secured a 2-0 victory against Edin Terzić’s Athletic Bilbao, returning to the top of the LaLiga standings with six points from two matches, according to Transfermarkt. Raphinha opened the scoring in the 37th minute, and Fermín López sealed the result in the 82nd minute at the San Mamés stadium in Bilbao.

The Match Context and Standings

Barcelona’s victory allowed the club to reclaim the top spot in LaLiga from rival Real Madrid, which had briefly taken the lead following a win where Kylian Mbappé performed under returning coach José Mourinho, as reported by Transfermarkt. For Athletic Bilbao, the defeat compounds a difficult start under Terzić, who took over as manager in the Basque region during the summer after previously leading Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final. Bilbao sits at the bottom of the table alongside Pellegrino Matarazzo’s Real Sociedad as the only sides without a point after two fixtures.

World Cup Winner Rodri Makes Club Debut

The fixture marked the official debut for newly signed midfielder Rodri following his transfer to Barcelona for a reported fee of 60 million euros. The 30-year-old international played for roughly half an hour during the match. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Flick praised the new acquisition’s fit within the squad: “Everyone is happy that Rodri is playing with us. He is the perfect player for us, for our playing style,” Flick said, according to Transfermarkt.

Squad Rotation and Tactical Choices

Forward Karim Adeyemi began the match on the bench after a strong opening performance that included a goal in a 5-0 win over Elche. Adeyemi entered the contest in the 80th minute as Flick managed his squad’s minutes. Meanwhile, Terzić faces early scrutiny following a 3-1 opening loss to Sevilla and the subsequent defeat to the Catalan side.

Next Fixtures

Barcelona prepares for its upcoming fixtures to defend its position at the summit of LaLiga, while Athletic Bilbao seeks its first points of the domestic campaign under Terzić as the league schedule continues.