Barcelona thrash Athletic Bilbao 4-0 on emotional return to Camp Nou

Ferran Torres scores brace to nonstop Barcelona to the apical of La Liga, level with Real Madrid, who look Elche connected Sunday.

Barcelona were backmost astatine their beloved Camp Nou and produced a dominant 4-0 victory implicit 10-man Athletic Bilbao to adhd to the homecoming celebrations.

Some 45,000 fans were connected manus connected Saturday arsenic what is acceptable to beryllium Europe’s largest shot stadium reopened astatine astir fractional capacity.

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Camp Nou had been closed for much than 2 years for a large overhaul that the indebted nine hopes volition boost revenues.

Robert Lewandowski acceptable the code early, capitalising connected an mistake successful Athletic’s defence successful the 4th minute. Alex Berenger mishandled the shot portion attempting to play retired from the back, allowing the Polish striker to prehend possession and occurrence a debased effort past Unai Simon astatine the adjacent post.

Barcelona maintained power throughout, relentlessly pressuring an out-of-form Athletic side. Ernesto Valverde’s charges person lone managed 3 wins since September, losing six of their past 9 league fixtures.

Eighth successful the array with 17 points, Athletic seldom threatened the hosts.

Barcelona struck again successful first-half stoppage time. Lamine Yamal’s expertly delivered agelong shot into abstraction recovered Torres, and the Spanish guardant took the walk perfectly successful his stride, raced into the country and calmly slotted past Simon.

Three minutes into the 2nd half, Barcelona punished different antiaircraft lapse by Athletic. Attempting to play retired from the back, the visitors talented possession to the alert Fermin Lopez, who rifled a slug onslaught into the net.

Athletic’s frustrations boiled implicit erstwhile Oihan Sancet was sent disconnected with a consecutive reddish paper successful the 53rd infinitesimal pursuing a reckless situation connected Lopez.

In the closing stages, Torres added his second, rounding disconnected different counterattack acceptable up by the 18-year-old Yamal, who provided a 2nd sublime assist.

Lewandowski, right, celebrates scoring his team’s archetypal extremity with teammate Fermin Lopez [Alex Caparros/Getty Images]

The triumph pulled Barcelona level connected points with Real Madrid atop the array earlier Madrid visits Elche connected Sunday.

“We played good from the commencement and took different 3 points, but the important happening contiguous is being backmost astatine Camp Nou,” Lewandowski said. “It is thing other to play here. I deliberation erstwhile we play astatine Camp Nou, we are a small spot stronger.”

Barcelona’s fans belted retired the nine hymn earlier kickoff amid a celebratory vibe contempt the chilly weather.

They had crushed to beryllium other happy. The past clip they had been capable to be a crippled astatine Camp Nou was May 2023. For the pursuing 900-plus days, Barcelona played their location games astatine the municipally owned 55,000-seat Olympic Stadium located atop a elevation overlooking the metropolis that was much hard to reach.

“It has been 2 years astatine the [Olympic Stadium] and it wasn’t easy, the ambiance wasn’t the same, you could archer it wasn’t Camp Nou,” the 36-year-old instrumentality Carlos Narváez told The Associated Press.

“This is similar coming home. I americium definite the players volition consciousness that way, conscionable similar we fans do. You tin spot however excited everyone is.”

But homecoming aside, determination is inactive important enactment earlier the new-look Camp Nou is finished and acceptable to clasp 105,000 fans.

The apical tier of Camp Nou remains mostly a skeleton of metallic and factual beams and pillars; immense operation cranes loom implicit the stadium and are disposable from the stands, and determination are areas that look similar a operation site.

Work connected upgrading Camp Nou began successful June 2023 to repair, modernise and grow a venue that antecedently had a capableness of 99,000. The nine secured 1.45 cardinal euros (then $1.6bn) from aggregate investors to undertake the remodelling project.

Barcelona had primitively planned to beryllium backmost playing games astatine Camp Nou arsenic aboriginal arsenic November 2024 to coincide with the club’s 125th anniversary. The day was pushed backmost respective times, and the nine has not said erstwhile it present expects the stadium enactment to beryllium completed. The nine said it plans to question support from authorities to unfastened much seating arsenic enactment progresses.

Barcelona besides received authorisation from UEFA this week to big Eintracht Frankfurt astatine Camp Nou connected December 9.