Hansi Flick’s Barcelona continue to make steady progress despite all the outside noise — and being unable to register Dani Olmo , their star signing of the summer. There was concern over the summer that the team would not have enough time to adapt to the arrival of Flick and his staff, plus the delay in players returning from their successful Euros and Olympic campaigns. Advertisement But after the 2-1 win away to Valencia , they saw off Athletic Bilbao, who beat them in the Copa del Rey semi-final last season, by the same scoreline.
Robert Lewandowski was again the match winner, with Lamine Yamal having opened the scoring. Relations between Barca and Athletic have not exactly been cordial after the courting of Nico Williams and the tension was palpable right from the start. Bilbao and former Barca head coach Ernesto Valverde, who said he didn’t expect a heated atmosphere at the temporary home of Montjuic because “it’s full of tourists”.
The response was an almost full attendance — 46,448 watched Flick’s home debut. And despite the tourists, there was a heated atmosphere. The Athletic ’s Laia Cervello Herrero analyses the key talking points.
How was Nico Williams’ return to Barcelona? Williams’ name has sounded like a wanted man’s every day in Barcelona this summer after his exploits in helping Spain win the Euros. When he came out onto the pitch before the game, he was seen talking with the youngsters in the Catalan squad — Alejandro Balde , Gavi , .