Athletic Club 0-1 Barcelona: Yamal 68
It could still be a great season for Barcelona, as Hansi Flick himself pointed out earlier this week after exiting the Copa del Rey at the hands of Atletico Madrid, but poor performances have been papered over at times by moments of quality.
Here at San Mames, Lamine Yamal was the difference as the La Liga leaders laboured to a 1-0 victory over Athletic Club on Saturday, restoring their four-point cushion over Real Madrid.
Hansi Flick’s side weathered an early storm before their 18-year-old prodigy produced a moment of quality to take the wind out of Athletic’s sails and settle a tight affair.
There were moments when it looked like Barcelona should fail to restore the four-point gap with 11 games to go, after Madrid themselves managed a lucky deflected strike in stoppage time to win at Celta Vigo on Friday.
This season winning La Liga may just be a case of La Blaugrana being less bad than their rivals, but if Flick and his squad are desirous of bringing the Champions League back to Camp Nou, they are going to have to be far better than they were here.
Athletic did not have much possession but were the more enterprising side. Flick, concerned about the persistent injuries to his squad, had rung the changes, leaving creative figures Pedri and Raphinha on the bench and his team consequently suffered from a noticeable lack of quality.
After a tepid first half Barcelona simply had to get better. Pedri came on for Marc Bernal and Marcus Rashford tested Unai Simon after the break but Athletic still looked the more dangerous side.
Oihan Sancet was denied by an excellent save from Joan Garcia after the hour and Flick had seen enough. He introduced Raphinha, Fermin Lopez and Robert Lewandowski for Ferran Torres, Rashford and Dani Olmo.
Soon Yamal found Lewandowski and the Pole was unable to get a shot away, but then only a minute later Yamal went for it himself. Receiving the ball from Pedri at the edge of the box, he sent a trademark curling effort into the top corner and Barcelona were ahead.
