Athletic Bilbao vs. Barcelona: Score, Grades, Reaction from La Liga Game
Barcelona pulled within one point of La Liga leaders Real Madrid with a thrilling 5-2 victory against Athletic Bilbao on Sunday evening at the New San Mames.
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez scored in the first half to give the visitors a two-goal lead at the interval, but the game really came to life in the second half as the teams combined for four goals in a seven-minute stretch.
Mikel Rico's 59th-minute strike gave Athletic a lifeline before an Oscar de Marcos own goal restored Barca's two-goal lead three minutes later. Neymar then made it 4-1 after a 64th-minute counter, only to see Aritz Aduriz notch Athletic's second within the next two minutes.
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The home side finished with 10 men following Xabier Etxeita's dismissal in the 75th minute. Barcelona then added a fifth goal four minutes from time as Pedro finished off a dazzling team move.
With the win, Barcelona moved up to 53 points through 22 matches, only one point behind rivals Real Madrid atop the league table. Following a loss at Real Sociedad in their first league fixture of 2015, Barca have now reeled off five straight victories.
Such a streak will give Luis Enrique's side confidence that they can catch—and overtake—Real Madrid, who suffered a humiliating 4-0 loss at city rivals Atletico Madrid on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Barcelona also remain alive at the semi-final stage of the Copa del Rey and the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League. While the season is, of course, far from finished, Barca will almost certainly be dreaming of claiming a treble of trophies at the end of the campaign.
Up next for the Blaugrana is a match at home to Levante next Sunday. Athletic, who remained in 13th place, play at Granada next Saturday.
Athletic started the match well, limiting Barcelona's ability to attack by pressing aggressively. The hosts created a first opening in the seventh minute, with Aduriz escaping the attention of Ivan Rakitic before heading over the target.
But Athletic's pressing was unable to stop Messi from opening the scoring in the 15th minute—thanks in large part to a slice of luck. After Barca won a free-kick on the right, Messi was unable to curl his direct shot cleanly past the Athletic wall. Luckily, the deflection wrong-footed goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz and trickled into the net for a 1-0 Barca lead.
From there, the match opened up as both sides created chances. Only one team, however, was able to score again in the first half.
In the 19th minute, Barca goalkeeper Claudio Bravo stopped Aduriz from close range after he stretched to poke an Iker Muniain cross on target.
Iraizoz made a fine save one minute later at the other end, scrambling across his line to keep a Suarez header following a cross by Messi.
Bravo then saved again in the 24th minute, pushing away a Markel Susaeta free-kick that looked destined for the top corner.
Barcelona scored a second goal in the 26th minute as Messi and Suarez combined to devastating effect. Suarez started the move with a pass to Messi on the right. Messi then returned the pass back to the middle, allowing Suarez to fire in first-time from the edge of the box for a 2-0 lead.
The visitors should have scored a third goal in the 30th minute after Xavi went around the goalkeeper and pulled back to Neymar. But Aymeric Laporte managed to clear Neymar's shot off the line, with Suarez's rebound being cleared as well.
Aduriz struck the post for Athletic two minutes later, heading off the woodwork after Gerard Pique failed to clear a cross.
Barcelona came close again in the 38th minute as Suarez headed off target from Dani Alves' deep cross.
Trailing 2-0 at the interval, Athletic improved early in the second half and had a chance to score in the 53rd minute. De Marcos picked out Unai Lopez with a cross to the back post, but Lopez shot wide of the post from an unmarked position.
The hosts created more danger in the 55th minute as Muniain freed Aduriz inside the box, but Pique made a timely block to deny Aduriz.
Athletic would not be denied much longer, though. In the 59th minute, the hosts pulled a goal back.
Lopez started the sequence with a pass through to Aduriz, whose shot was parried by Bravo. The rebound fell to Rico, who tapped in.
It was no more than Athletic deserved following a fine start to the second half, but Barcelona were not about to fold.
The visitors restored their two-goal lead just three minutes later after a quick counter. With Athletic appealing for a penalty at one end, Barca attacked quickly as Suarez crossed from near the byline on the right for Messi. The latter directed a header in off De Marcos, who was credited with the own goal in the 62nd minute.
Two more minutes later, Barcelona made it 4-1. It came from another counter, Messi playing the final pass for Neymar to sweep home.
The game suddenly appeared finished, but Athletic fought back again to make it 4-2 in the 66th minute. Shrugging off a challenge from Sergio Busquets, Muniain threaded a pass into the box for Aduriz, who finished from a tight angle.
After producing four goals in seven minutes, the match began to calm down—but only to an extent. Jordi Alba headed narrowly wide in the 73rd minute as Barca chased a fifth goal. Etxeita then saw red for a reckless, high challenge on Suarez two minutes later, reducing Athletic to 10 men for the final 15 minutes.
Suarez himself limped off shortly thereafter, clearly affected by the tackle. Replays appeared to show stud marks on the Uruguayan's knee.
Etxeita's dismissal ended Athletic's slim chances of a comeback, and in the 86th minute, Barcelona added a fifth goal. Messi served as the catalyst, showing off dazzling ball control before playing a brilliant pass to Sergio Busquets. Busquets squared to Pedro, who swept in to finish off a thrilling night at the New San Mames.
Grades
| Gorka Iraizoz | 6.0 |
| Oscar de Marcos | 5.4 |
| Xabier Etxeita | 5.3 |
| Aymeric Laporte | 6.7 |
| Mikel Balenziaga | 5.9 |
| Mikel San Jose | 7.3 |
| Mikel Rico | 6.5 |
| Markel Susaeta | 6.7 |
| Unai Lopez | 6.7 |
| Iker Muniain | 7.5 |
| Aritz Aduriz | 7.7 |
| Jon Aurtenetxe (for Balenziaga, 52') | 6.1 |
| Benat Etxebarria (for Susaeta, 69') | 5.9 |
| Carlos Gurpegi (for Muniain, 78') | 5.9 |
| Claudio Bravo | 7.1 |
| Dani Alves | 7.2 |
| Gerard Pique | 7.4 |
| Jeremy Mathieu | 7.3 |
| Jordi Alba | 7.2 |
| Ivan Rakitic | 7.1 |
| Sergio Busquets | 8.2 |
| Xavi | 6.8 |
| Lionel Messi | 9.7 |
| Luis Suarez | 8.9 |
| Neymar | 9.1 |
| Adriano (for Alves, 69') | 6.5 |
| Rafinha (for Xavi, 74') | 6.3 |
| Pedro (for Suarez, 80') | 7.3 |
Reaction
Barcelona forward Luis Suarez (via Football Espana):
"It was a tough game. We scored quick goals, but (Athletic) kept fighting until the end. We know that our intensity must always be at the maximum. You have to match their strength because they play very well in that regard.
…
It's a privilege to play alongside these the two phenomena (Neymar and Lionel Messi). What I have to do is enjoy (my football).
"
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