Rodri’s debut sparks Barça’s hot LaLiga surge at Camp Nou

Fermín López’s low‑cross finish in the 82nd minute clinched Barcelona’s 2‑0 victory over Athletic Club at Camp Nou on Thursday, giving the World Cup‑winner Rodri a winning LaLiga debut after coming on for Raphinha. The goal followed Raphinha’s earlier strike that had put Barça ahead, and it extended the Catalans’ home winning run to 20 matches.

World Cup‑winner Rodri, signed from Manchester City for a total package worth €76.5 million, made his Barça debut off the bench after Raphinha’s third goal in two matches had given his side a 1‑0 interval lead. The official sheet credited PTSRaphinha for his opening strike. Rodri, a Cup-winner, celebrated his debut as the new signing quickly made an impact.

Raphinha struck in the 37th minute after a header hit the post, then collected Pedri’s through‑ball to beat Simón and put Barça ahead. His finish set the tone for the second half and underscored his strong start to the season.

Athletic’s valiant resistance

Athletic goalkeeper Unai Simón made eight saves, including several top‑class stops, keeping the visitors from scoring further. Despite the pressure, Athletic failed to register a single shot on target, and their winless run at Camp Nou stretched to 16 matches.

Three takeaways as Rodri and Cubarsi debut Barcelona vs Athletic Club

The win pushed Barcelona’s home winning streak in LaLiga to 20 matches, the longest since a 25‑game run between November 2012 and January 2014. The Club celebrated the milestone as the Catalans continue their dominant form at Camp Nou.

Match data and broadcast details

Coach Hansi Flick began with four teenagers – Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí, Marc Bernal and Xavi Espart – while England forward Anthony Gordon made his first start for Barça. The broadcast details were listed as WatchSearchBarcelona, and the match sheet showed AthleticLALIGABarcelonaBarcelonaBAR2-0-0 with PTS22-0-0 for Barça and PTSFTAthletic for the visitors, while ClubAthleticATH0-0-2 and PTS00-0-2 reflected the away side’s tally; the player‑by‑player breakdown appeared under StatsPlayer and the video highlights under StatsCommentaryVideosRodri. The report, filed by News and ServicesUpdated on Aug 27, cited PA as a source and referenced MessengerTwitterEmailRodri for further comments.

The victory marked Barcelona’s second LaLiga win in five days and left Athletic winless at Camp Nou in 16 matches, reinforcing Barça’s hot start to the season.