Barcelona 2-0 Athletic Bilbao: Winners and Losers from the Camp Nou Clash

Neymar netted a brace at the Camp Nou Saturday to see off visitors Athletic Club Bilbao and keep Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table. It was a very difficult match for both sides, but the Catalans were able to edge their Basque rivals, giving fans plenty to take away from the match.

For long stretches of the match Athletic stood toe-to-toe with Barcelona. The two sides trades blows, but in the end it was the Catalans who saw their quality give them the extra boost needed to pull off the win.

In this article, we will take a look at the winners and losers from the Camp Nou clash and discuss what the result means for both sides.

For now, Barcelona remains at the top of the table, having won all three of their opening games in the domestic league. However, Athletic are currently in the middle of the table as they keep one eye on the Champions League group stage.

As always, feel free to get involved in the discussion in the comment section below and tell us who your winners and losers were from the exhilarating clash in Catalonia.

* All player statistics are courtesy of WhoScored.com.

Winner: Ivan Rakitic

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Ivan Rakitic was brought in this summer in hopes of taking Xavi’s regular spot in the Barcelona lineup. To this point the Croatian has been learning just what it means to play that role, and it looks like he’s starting to figure it out quite well.

Playing in front of the Camp Nou faithful, Rakitic had his best match yet in the Blaugrana shirt.

The Croatian midfielder completed over 80 percent of his passes on 96 touches, while he also linked up beautifully with the likes of Sergio Busquets. For the first time, Rakitic showed he has exactly what it takes to be a starter at Barcelona and fans are right to be excited.

At 26 years old, Rakitic is entering the prime of his career. Last season he proved that he is one of the best midfielders in the game, and now is the time for him to continue his upward spiral at one of the biggest clubs in the world.

Loser: Markel Susaeta

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It has not been a good start to the year for Markel Susaeta who has yet to find the form fans are used to seeing. Against Barcelona, the winger struggled to get involved in the attack and was marked out of the game for long stretches of time.

Normally a player who can get in behind the defense and create chances from crosses, Susaeta was subdued by the likes of Jordi Alba. The Basque winger completed only 70 percent of his passes and did very little when he had the ball.

Ibai Gomez is quickly starting to make his case for a starting role at Athletic, and the extreme dip in form by Susaeta could give him the chance to take the spot on a regular basis.

Looking ahead, Ernesto Valverde has a few decisions to make regarding Susaeta. The 26-year-old has been an invaluable player during his career at Athletic, but his role at the club may soon be changing if this continues.

Winner: The Barcelona Defense

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The Barcelona defense has been a big problem for a few years now. For whatever reason, the Catalans have been unable to defend when most needed, but it seems like Luis Enrique has made some necessary adjustments to address those issues.

Playing against Athletic was never going to be easy, and defending the Basques is always a tall task. However, Barcelona put in a strong night on the defensive end of the ball and showed that they are adapting, which should have Cules excited about how this season could play out.

Dani Alves and Jordi Alba performed well on the sides of the defense, while Jeremy Mathieu again showed that he is a nice fit in the back line. The Catalans can continue to build on recent defensive performances and they would be wise to keep looking for ways to improve.

To be honest, there were still moments of chaos at the back, such as the questionable Gerard Pique foul on Iker Muniain that could have been a penalty. Regardless, the overall play was impressive from Barcelona.

Loser: Benat

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After Ander Herrera exited Athletic Club this summer, the attacking midfielder role became Benat’s position to lose. So far, that is exactly what the 27-year-old has been doing.

On a few occasions Benat has been able to put together a strong showing, but for the most part he has struggled to control things in the middle of the pitch. At the Camp Nou, the Basque midfielder again found it hard to create chances and only had 32 touches in the whole match.

Truth be told, Benat simply doesn’t fit the Athletic system well enough to carry such an important role for Los Leones. He tends to shy away from defensive duties and doesn’t possess the passing ability to link up play near the goal.

However, where one man struggles there is another who is thriving.

Unai Lopez, 18, came on later in the match and once again showed that he has a bright future as a footballer. The Lezama product is able to create chances, link up play and orchestrate everything in the middle of the pitch. Everything Benat struggles with, Lopez excels in doing.

Athletic are hesitant to put so much pressure on Lopez at such an early age, but it is clear that he is the future of the club’s midfield and may soon take Benat’s place if things continue this way.

Winners: Catalans and Basque Football

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When the players walked onto the pitch before kickoff it was a beautiful moment. Athletic Club was wearing their Basque flag “Ikurrina” inspired shirts, while Barcelona was adorned in their “Senyera” strip. The biggest Catalan club was hosting the biggest Basque club, and it was a night to take in for sure.

No matter the outcome, it was always going to be a special night at the Camp Nou because of what these two clubs represent.

The Basques fought hard against Barcelona, but the Catalans eventually found a way to prevail. It was not an easy game by any means, yet these two proud regions of Spain were represented in a massive way.

For many, it really doesn’t matter what shirts these two clubs wore on Saturday. But for others, simply walking out in the “Senyera” and “Ikurrina” strips was a big deal. The match may have only taken 90 minutes to play, but it was an eternity of pride for so many fans.

Who were your winners and losers from Barcelona's 2-0 win? Can the Catalans win the La Liga title? Leave your thoughts and comments below!