Having wrapped up their first home game of the 2024/25 footballing season, the Catalans emerge victorious against Athletic Bilbao and pick up yet another crucial three points. Flick continues on his dream start as he has won both of his games against 2 formidable foes. Here’s our player ratings for the game.
Ter Stegen: 6/10
Ter Stegen was minimally tested in goal besides the penalty he conceded where he failed to get even near the ball. On a rare occasion, he got the basics right.
Jules Kounde: 8/10
Defensively exceptional, Jules Kounde imposed his resilient presence upon the left flank of Athletic Bilbao. He gave Nico Williams no space to exploit and did exceptionally well at negating the Spainiard’s threat by winning all his duels. However, he lacked the poise to make significant contributions in attack and put in some mediocre crosses.
Inigo Martinez: 8/10
Winning all 6 of his duels comprising 4 aerial and 2 along the ground, Inigo Martinez gave absolutely nothing away for the visitors to pounce upon due to his innate sense of positioning. Additionally, his distributive abilities were key for the Catalans as they played out of the back.
Pau Cubarsi: 6/10
After his heroics last week, Cubarsi was at fault for the sole goal that Athletic Bilbao were able to score. Although it was his unfortunate slip that gave the penalty away, Cubarsi must defend with greater discipline to avoid these errors.
Besides the penalty, he complimented Inigo quite well, and they were able to halt most of Bilbao’s recurrent attacks.
Alejandro Balde: 6.5/10
Balde was solid in possession and provided his usual overlapping runs along the left flank. However, it was not his finest performance creatively as most of his crosses failed to meet their intended targets making him rather wasteful.
Marc Bernal: 7.5/10
The 17-year-old put forth yet another stunning display of football. Bernal’s possession retention was top class and he looked unfazed when sharply distributing possession with his perfectly crafted passes. However, he conceded a poor yellow card due to a sudden loss of defensive discipline.
Pedri: 9/10
Barcelona’s primary creative force, Pedri, showcased his brilliance, gliding through the pitch with his trademark smoothness. His ball progression was effortless, and he delivered pinpoint passes that his teammates eagerly capitalized on.
Commanding the central areas, Pedri orchestrated Barcelona’s play, especially during their most dominant phases, dictating the tempo and flow of the game with precision.
Raphinha: 7.5/10
Playing a role as an advanced midfielder while also shifting to the left flank on a temporary basis, Raphinha was his usual creative self. However, this unfamiliar role does not ideally suit his profile as he can make some costly mistakes in key areas on the pitch.
Ferran Torres: 7/10
Ferran looked exceptionally sharp in the first half as he was taking on defenders with sheer confidence and beating them comfortably. However, his involvement in the game lacked and he failed to make significant contributions even in the dominant phases of the game.
Lamine Yamal: 8/10
Scoring Barcelona’s first goal aided by a deflection, Yamal made his mark on the game. However, it was not the 17-year-old’s finest display as he lacked his usual precision.
Nevertheless, he looked exceptional whenever Barcelona were on the counter and found comfort when spaces opened up. Moreover, he contributed a fair deal defensively to minimise the threat that the left flank of Athletic Bilbao posed.
Robert Lewandowski: 8/10
Hansi Flick seems to have brought the Polish serial goalscorer back to his absolute best. Lewandowski was unlucky to not add more to his tally, but it was his precise effort that found its way back into the net and gave Barcelona their well-deserved win. Lewandowski seems to be in top physical and technical form.
Substitutes
Fermin Lopez: 6/10
Eric Garcia: 6.5/10
Gerard Martin: N/A
Pau Victor: N/A
