BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Lamine Yamal got the better of fellow Spain star Nico Williams when Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 2-1 Saturday in the players' first matchup since the two young talents led their nation to European Championship glory. Yamal opened the scoring before Robert Lewandowski provided the second goal to give Barcelona two wins in two games to start the Spanish league season. The Barcelona teenager struck in the 24th minute with a curling shot that was reminiscent of Lionel Messi’s favorite moves.
Yamal controlled a deflected ball, took two touches to skirt along the outside edge of the box before he found the angle to unleash a left-footed shot. The ball found the net after a deflection on Athletic player Íñigo Lekue. Yamal and Williams chatted before and after kickoff.
Yamal would not reveal in a post-game interview what they talked about, saying “we are just good friends.” But he did, perhaps half-jokingly, make a dig at his pal when he described his goal. “I saw that Nico, who is not very intense while defending, was coming and I found the space I needed to shoot,” Yamal said.
Oihan Sancet equalized in the 42nd by converting a penalty kick after Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsí knocked down Alejandro Berenguer. But Barcelona never let Williams get going in attack and kept up the pressure until Lewandowski reestablished the advantage. The Poland striker had already headed off the bar when he was set up by a passing move involving Raphinha and Ped.