Robert Lewandowski’s Determination Leads Barcelona to 2-1 Victory Over Athletic Bilbao
Robert Lewandowski demonstrated his tenacity as Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 2-1 in a gripping La Liga match on Saturday.
The 36-year-old Polish striker kept his composure and scored the game-winning goal in the 75th minute despite squandering a number of opportunities, including two close calls that struck the woodwork.
Despite a series of wasted chances, Robert Lewandowski helped Barcelona defeat Athletic Bilbao 2-1 in La Liga on Saturday. The 36-year-old striker missed several opportunities and twice struck the woodwork, but he maintained composure to score the game’s winning goal for the Catalan giants in the 75th minute.
Adolescent sensation Lamine Yamal gave Barcelona the lead with a deflected shot, but just before halftime, Oihan Sancet equalized from the penalty spot for Athletic. With Lewandowski’s goal, Barcelona won their second straight league game under new head coach Hansi Flick.
“Especially in the first half he could have scored one or two goals… but in the end this is a goal getter, a striker, who scores goals,” Flick told the media. “The second goal was the winner, three points, perfect.”
The former manager of Germany and Bayern Munich had planned to deploy new signing Dani Olmo, but the former RB Leipzig playmaker could only watch from the stands as Barcelona was unable to register him due to financial issues.
After suffering an injury, Pedri returned to the field in midfield alongside Yamal, a 17-year-old Spanish sensation who made light of fellow countryman Nico Williams, a summer transfer target for Barcelona.
The winger, who will remain with Athletic for the upcoming campaign, was whistled by a few Barcelona supporters after his heated altercation with Jules Kounde. Barcelona took the lead after Yamal’s effort off the edge of the area ricocheted off Inigo Lekue’s head and into the goal.
“I’m thrilled about the victory; it’s crucial to win at home,” Yamal said to DAZN. “(For my goal) I saw a bit of space, I saw Nico coming, who is not very intense when it comes to defending, and when I found the space, I shot.”
Athletic threatened, but Williams fired a dangerous cross just inches wide of the far post at the other end.
After further excellent work by Yamal and Raphinha, Barca’s striker Lewandowski, who scored twice against Valencia in their La Liga opening, struck the post. Shortly before the half, Athletic equalized after a clumsy foul by young center-back Pau Cubarsi on Alejandro Berenguer.
Sancet leveled the score at halftime by sending Marc-Andre ter Stegen the wrong way from the penalty spot. Lewandowski, a veteran of Poland, struck the woodwork once more, hitting Raphinha’s free kick against the far post at close range. The Brazilian set himself up for another goal with an attractive cross, but Alex Padilla, the Athletic goalkeeper, produced a fantastic stop.
In the 75th minute, Lewandowski scored his third goal of the season, rewarding Barcelona for their efforts. Raphinha put Pedri through, and Padilla palmed Pedri’s cross into Lewandowski’s path. This time, Lewandowski made no mistakes.
After winning against Valencia on opening day, Barcelona’s victory over Ernesto Valverde’s Copa del Rey winners provides even more motivation.
Champions After acquiring Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid is mostly anticipated to defend their title, but despite a number of injury issues, Flick’s Barcelona have had a flawless start to their campaign to reclaim it.
Olmo is waiting for his opportunity, and later in the season, Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, and Ronald Araujo are a few of the players who will return for Barcelona. Flick went on, “We cannot change these things, so we have to accept them.”
“We understood when we signed for Barca (the financial situation) is not easy, (so I) don’t think about it. Today we wanted three points and we got it.”
Athletic’s first two games have yielded just one point. Former Barcelona coach Valverde stated, “You always suffer when you come here because you know they will take the initiative.”
“In the second half they were stronger in pressing after losing the ball and they didn’t let us get out, I think that was the key.”
