After two and a half years of waiting, FC Barcelona’s game with Athletic Club marked the team’s return to the legendary Camp Nou. Although the stadium still isn’t finished, thousands of Culers gathered on the stands to watch their team play at home at last. The excitement on the sold-out stands was almost palpable as the oldest living socio performed the ceremonious first kick.
Envigorated by the great return, Barcelona started the game very proactively, continuously pressing their opponents. The Culers didn’t have to pay long for the efforts to pay off. Only four minutes after the game began, Robert Lewandowski, tha man wearing the captain’s armband, opened the score at the New Camp Nou.
Despite the early loss, Athletic did not give up; quite the contrary. Both teams spent most of the first half attacking with all their might, but through misses and impressive defences, the score remained unchanged.
It seemed like the score would stay at 1:0 at least until the break. There was barely any time left in the game, and the players were all but ready to head into the changing rooms. Then, in the last minute of added time, Lamine Yamal managed a truly beautiful pass to Ferran Torres, who directed the ball towards Athletic’s net. Unai Simon touched the ball on its way to the goal, but couldn’t stop it from falling in.
Fermin Lopez became Barcelona’s main character during the first minutes of the second half. First, after a few good attempts, he managed to put the ball in Athletic’s net, making it 3:0 for his team. Then he was involved in a much less pleasant situation.
A few minutes after the change in score, Fermin was fouled by Oihan Sancet. Athletic’s player hit the back of his legs, clearly not standing the slightest chance of touching the ball. He initially received a yellow card for the offence, but after a quick VAR check, it was “upgraded” to a red. His team had to finish the game with only ten players on the field.
The second half mirrored the first with a goal scored in the first few minutes, and another added to the tally right before it was supposed to end. Just as the standard time had run its course, Yamal made yet another pass to Ferran. El Tiburon ran with all his might and, once again, found himself all but alone with the goalkeeper. For the last time that afternoon, the ball landed in Athletic’s net, making it 4:0 for Barcelona. In addition to winning, the team also managed to keep a clean slate for the first time since September.
The return to the legendary stadium won’t be forgotten by the Culers. It was a match of their dreams, with Barcelona dominating on the field and reminding the world why they are one of the highest-ranked teams in the world. The fans can only hope that Blaugrana will keep the form going into their upcoming game: a Champions League fixture against Chelsea.
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