Ferran Torres struck twice as Barcelona marked their long-awaited return to their Camp Nou with an emphatic 4-0 win over Athletic Bilbao.
Barca climbed to the top of the LaLiga standings on 31 points, level with Real Madrid, who face Elche on Sunday.
This was Barcelona’s first match at Camp Nou in 909 days, as the partially renovated stadium welcomed fans back after two and a half years of redevelopment.
The ground is currently operating at a reduced capacity of 45,401, significantly lower than the anticipated 105,000 seats planned upon the project’s completion.
The crowd witnessed a dominant display by the home side in an emotional homecoming, creating a lively atmosphere that ended with fireworks following the final whistle.
Robert Lewandowski set the tone early, capitalising on an error in Athletic’s defence in the fourth minute. Alex Berenger mishandled the ball while attempting to play out from the back, allowing the Polish striker to seize possession and fire a low effort past Unai Simon at the near post.
Barcelona maintained control throughout, relentlessly pressuring an out-of-form Athletic side. Ernesto Valverde’s charges have only managed three wins since September, losing six of their last nine league fixtures.
Eighth in the table with 17 points, Athletic rarely threatened the hosts.
Barcelona struck again in first-half stoppage time. Lamine Yamal’s expertly delivered long ball into space found Torres and the Spanish forward took the pass perfectly in his stride, raced into the area and calmly slotted past Simon.
Three minutes into the second half, Barcelona punished another defensive lapse by Athletic. Attempting to play out from the back, the visitors gifted possession to the alert Fermin Lopez, who rifled a bullet strike into the net.
Athletic’s frustrations boiled over when Oihan Sancet was sent off with a straight red card in the 53rd minute following a reckless challenge on Lopez.
In the closing stages, Torres added his second, rounding off another counter-attack set up by the 18-year-old Yamal who provided a second sublime assist.
“Coming back to the Camp Nou is a special day,” Lewandowski told DAZN.
“We’re very happy and pleased. For returning with a win. We played very well. Two goals in each half… To be honest, it’s different when we play here. We gain in confidence.
“I’m 37 years old, but it was also special for me to play here again. Even better to score a goal.”
Reuters
