Raphinha opens the way, Fermín seals it and Unai Simón prevents a bigger punishment

FC Barcelona

The match, corresponding to the first round and played after both teams had already taken part in their next league fixture, found Barça in full flow after the 0-5 win over Elche and Athletic looking for a response after losing to Sevilla. The red-and-whites also made the trip without Yuri Berchiche due to suspension, while Hansi Flick stuck with Raphinha as the attacking reference and named Pedri, Cubarsí and Anthony Gordon in the starting XI.

First half

Barça kept piling up chances until they pinned Athletic close to their own area. Lamine Yamal found Unai Simón early, who flew to divert a left-footed effort aimed at the corner. Shortly after, Raphinha won space inside the box and headed Xavi Espart's cross against the post. The international goalkeeper was already making it clear that the scoreline was not going to grow easily.

Athletic tried to breathe through transitions and came close to releasing Guruzeta into open grass, but Joan García read the move well and came out of his goal to cut out Peio Canales' pass. At the other end, Barcelona even celebrated a Pedri goal, ruled out for an earlier offside by Lamine.

The visitors' resistance finally gave way in the 37th minute. Pedri found an inside channel and threaded the ball to Raphinha, who attacked the space, got past Unai Simón and finished into an empty net. A very clean move that summed up two of the best blue-and-garnet headlines of the night: Pedri's ability to speed up the game with a pass and Raphinha's adaptation to central areas. Before halftime, Unai again appeared against Lamine to keep the 1-0 alive.

Second half

The script barely changed after the break. Gordon had an opportunity after a layoff from Raphinha, but sent his shot over the bar, and Lamine Yamal struck the woodwork again after an individual run. Barça were creating chances regularly, but between the posts and Unai Simón's interventions, the second goal kept waiting.

In the 60th minute, another highlight of the night arrived: Rodrigo Hernández made his official debut as a Barça player, replacing Marc Bernal, while Dani Olmo came on for Raphinha. With the score still tight, Athletic had their big chance. Sancet collected the ball on the edge of the area and fired a shot that crashed into the post of Joan García. For a few seconds, 1-1 was really close.

The scare accelerated the outcome. In the 81', a poor clearance by Laporte left the ball in a favorable position for Fermín López, who did not miss against Unai Simón and made it 2-0. Athletic had no room for another response and Barça still had the chance to extend the gap, especially with Adeyemi, but the red-and-white goalkeeper once again came up with several impressive saves.

Barcelona thus closed the match with a perfect start to their league campaign, while Athletic suffered a second straight defeat. Beyond the scoreline, the game once again showed Barça's ease in creating chances from different angles: Pedri operating from inside, Lamine threatening from the right, and Raphinha appearing as a mobile forward.

Top performers Comunio / Sofascore

For Barcelona, the two big names for Comunio were Raphinha and Fermín López, both with 12 points. The Brazilian backed up his tally with a 7.9 on Sofascore and was decisive again thanks to the 1-0. His mobility as an attacking reference allowed him to show up in the space and maintain a very high fantasy output.

37

Fermín López
17.420.000€-370.000€ ?

J4

6

J3

19

J2

12

J1

MD

03

Fermín López, with 12 Comunio points and 7.6 on Sofascore, turned his arrival from second line into the goal that effectively sealed the match. Pedri also stood out, with 11 Comunio points and an 8.0 on Sofascore: in addition to assisting Raphinha, he was one of the players who best understood where to accelerate possession. Cubarsí, with 10 points, completed a very profitable day from defense, while Lamine Yamal added 9 despite finishing without a goal.

18

Unai Simón
4.510.000€-50.000€ ?

J4

10

J3

-4

J2

12

J1

PT

01

For Athletic Club, Unai Simón was by far the standout: 12 Comunio points and a 9.0 rating on Sofascore. Conceding two goals did not stop him from ending as the highest-rated player on his team. His saves against Lamine, Fermín and Adeyemi prevented a match that was already difficult from ending with an even bigger margin.

The negative side was Aymeric Laporte, with -1 Comunio point and 5.7 on Sofascore. The centre-back was punished on a tough night, and his clearance in the build-up to the second goal ultimately made Fermín's finish easier. For Athletic's fantasy players, the contrast was clear: the goalkeeper came out much stronger despite the defeat, while most outfield players finished the game with modest scores.

Match details

Result: FC Barcelona 2-0 Athletic Club.

Goals: 1-0, Raphinha (37'); 2-0, Fermín López (81').

Stadium: Spotify Camp Nou.

Referee: Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias.

FC Barcelona: Joan García; Xavi Espart, Cubarsí, Eric García, Gerard Martín; Marc Bernal, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Fermín López, Anthony Gordon; Raphinha. Coach: Hansi Flick.

Athletic Club: Unai Simón; Hugo Rincón, Yeray Álvarez, Laporte, Johaneko Louis-Jean; Mikel Jauregizar, Peio Canales; Iñaki Williams, Sancet, Nico Williams; Guruzeta. Coach: Edin Terzić.