FC Barcelona extended their flawless start to the La Liga 2026/27 season with a commanding 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao at Camp Nou on Thursday, 28 August, maintaining their position at the top of the table. Goals from Raphinha and Fermin Lopez secured the three points for Hansi Flick's side, who made light work of a Bilbao outfit that failed to register a single shot on target throughout the match.

Key Developments

Lamine Yamal was noticeably sharper than in his previous outing, testing Athletic goalkeeper Unai Simon as early as the 15th minute. Despite Barcelona's dominance in possession, the breakthrough required a moment of individual brilliance — a precise through-ball from Pedri released Raphinha, who finished with composure in the 37th minute.

Simon produced several strong saves to keep Bilbao in contention during the second half, but a costly error from Spain international Aymeric Laporte in the 82nd minute allowed Fermin Lopez to double the advantage, completing his third goal of the campaign.

Osasuna Stun Celta Vigo in Earlier Kickoff

In the evening's earlier fixture, Celta Vigo appeared to be heading for a comfortable home win after Iago Aspas gave them an early lead against Osasuna. However, the match turned dramatically at the start of the second half when Celta defender Marcos Alonso was dismissed following a VAR review for a dangerous challenge.

Playing with a numerical advantage, Osasuna capitalised swiftly. Kike Barja levelled within three minutes of the red card, exploiting slack defending, before Ante Budimir converted from the penalty spot after a handball in the Celta area to complete a stunning comeback victory.

Real Madrid's Mbappe Fires Hat-Trick

The midweek action had already been headlined by Real Madrid's 4-1 demolition of Real Sociedad on Wednesday, with Kylian Mbappe scoring a hat-trick and Jude Bellingham setting up Vinicius Jr. for Madrid's fourth goal.

Barcelona Confirm Livakovic Signing and Espart Promotion

Barcelona's win came hours after the club confirmed the signing of Croatian international goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, 31, on a four-year deal from Turkish club Fenerbahce. Livakovic, who arrived in the city on Tuesday, is viewed as a long-term successor to 36-year-old Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. Whether he joins the first-team squad this season or heads out on loan — with Dinamo Zagreb cited as a potential destination — remains to be confirmed.

The club also announced that 19-year-old full-back Xavi Espart has earned a place in Barcelona's first-team squad for the 2026/27 season on the back of an impressive pre-season. Barcelona's title defence, both on and off the pitch, is gathering momentum.