01:38 (IST)29 AUG 2016
01:35 (IST)29 AUG 2016
90+1' The fourth official indicates 3 minutes of added time.
01:34 (IST)29 AUG 2016
90' Muniain goes down in the box after contact from Rakitic. He had a case, but he was overly dramatic in his fall, and the ref refused to heed his words.
01:33 (IST)29 AUG 2016
89' Great end to end stuff in the dying minutes of this game, as both teams really go for it. Barca to put the result beyond doubt and Bilbao to save a point. Brilliant attacking football.
01:30 (IST)29 AUG 2016
86' Benat steps forward and takes a direct shot at goal. Good effort, but not good enough, as it was a half metre wide of the post.
01:29 (IST)29 AUG 2016
85' Free kick to Bilbao in a very threatening position. 24 metres from goal.
01:28 (IST)29 AUG 2016
84' Barcelona take Turan off for Rafinha Alcantara.
01:27 (IST)29 AUG 2016
84' Benat is booked for a poor challenge on Messi.
01:26 (IST)29 AUG 2016
82' Suarez really should've scored there. He showed amazing skill and footwork to beat his markers and twisted and turned in the box before firing a shot with his left foot. It went well high and wide, and the striker would most definitely have been better off passing the ball to Turan, who was completely unmarked in the box.
01:23 (IST)29 AUG 2016
79' The Bilbao players appear to have gotten a sudden boost of energy, as they look to push forward and give it their all to find that equaliser. Nobody's giving up.
01:20 (IST)29 AUG 2016
76' Substitution for Bilbao. Muniain makes his way onto the field to take Susaeta's place.
01:15 (IST)29 AUG 2016
72' Double substitution for Barca. Andre Gomes and Mascherano replace Umtiti and Denis Suarez.
01:15 (IST)29 AUG 2016
70' Turan surged forward and found Suarez outside the box. The Uruguayan gives the ball to Messi, who is forced onto his weaker right foot and hits the shot way too high.
01:09 (IST)29 AUG 2016
65' Aduriz goes down too easily in the box, after very minimal contact from Busquets. He pleads with the referee, hoping to win a penalty, but it's pointless. The ref isn't convinced, and rightly so.
01:06 (IST)29 AUG 2016
63' Two changes for Bilbao. Iturraspe and Eraso come off for Vesga and Garcia.
01:05 (IST)29 AUG 2016
62' Another yellow. Eraso is booked for pulling Rakitic.
01:03 (IST)29 AUG 2016
59' Sergi Roberto's name goes into the ref's book for a bodycheck on Benat.
01:02 (IST)29 AUG 2016
58' Rakitic played a beautiful peach of a cross to Suarez from the right flank, but the striker is unable to provide the end product as his shot goes just a little high.
01:00 (IST)29 AUG 2016
56' Iturraspe picks up a yellow for pulling Busquets' jersey and for a little kick out at him.
00:59 (IST)29 AUG 2016
55' Suarez gives the ball to Messi just outside the box. The Argentine runs past two defenders and pops a shot on goal, but it goes just wide. He could've done better with the shot.
00:54 (IST)29 AUG 2016
51' Barcelona are in no hurry whatsoever, continuing to play simple passes between their defenders. The longer they keep the ball, the more Bilbao players join the press.
00:51 (IST)29 AUG 2016
47' Corner to Bilbao. Benat whips the ball in and finds Laporte's head, but the shot is high.
00:49 (IST)29 AUG 2016
45' And we're back in action for the second half. Athletic Bilbao get us underway from kick-off.
00:36 (IST)29 AUG 2016
45' The referee blows for half time. Barca go into the break with a narrow lead, but Bilbao are very much in the game and giving it their best. They managed to test the Catalan side a few times, and probably should've scored at least one. Barcelona are attacking decently, but their defence has shown glimpses of vulnerability, and the Bilbao manager and players will do all they can to exploit that in the second half. It ought to be a good 45 minutes coming up.
00:33 (IST)29 AUG 2016
45' Susaeta goes into the referee's book for a silly and unnecessary challenge on Turan.
00:33 (IST)29 AUG 2016
44' A good attack by Barcelona goes to waste. Turan had the ball in the box with Suarez free right next to him, but the Turk took the shot himself and hit it wide.
00:29 (IST)29 AUG 2016
41' Bilbao had a decent spell of possession, and mounted a few waves of attacks against Barca, but nothing that really managed to penetrate the defence. In the end they were reduced to a hopeful shot from distance, but Ter Stegen was never going to be challenged by that.
00:25 (IST)29 AUG 2016
38' Busquets and Suarez have picked up bookings for dissent. The ref called a foul against Barca - another poor call. Both players crowded around the ref and pestered him, leading to their yellow cards.
00:23 (IST)29 AUG 2016
37' Messi put the ball into the box from a wide free-kick, but only managed to find Inaki Williams. Williams' poor clearance only got so far as Umtiti just outside the box. He tried a volleyed shot that would've been spectacular if he scored, but the ball ended up in the crowd.
00:20 (IST)29 AUG 2016
34' Bilbao seem to have eased up on their intense high pressing game. Whether that's down to tiredness or if it's a tactical decision is unclear.
00:17 (IST)29 AUG 2016
31' Free kick awarded against Denis Suarez who was just outside the opposition box, but it looks like that was a poor call by the ref. The replays show that the foul was committed against the Barcelona man, and not by him. Tough luck.
00:15 (IST)29 AUG 2016
28' Barca seem content to pass the ball between their defenders, slowing the game down and taking some sting out of it, much to the ire of the home fans at the San Mames stadium.
00:12 (IST)29 AUG 2016
GOOAALLLLLL! Barça are ahead! Rakitic with a header!!! #FCBlive #AthleticFCB pic.twitter.com/Ai6Oh2aTCL
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 28, 2016
00:10 (IST)29 AUG 2016
23' Bilbao are unlucky to be a goal down at this point. They've been brilliant going forward, but Barcelona broke on a counter and took the lead against the run of play.
00:08 (IST)29 AUG 2016
21' Goal! Rakitic scores for Barcelona. Turan played a perfectly timed and placed cross from the left wing, and Rakitic rose to head it past Iraizoz, who never had a chance.
00:05 (IST)29 AUG 2016
18' Another attack by Bilbao. Inaki Williams made a good run down the right flank and put a low cross into the box, but there was only Ter Stegen at the end of it.
00:02 (IST)29 AUG 2016
15' Both teams are playing a good game, and it looks like this will be an entertaining, attacking game. Bilbao are certainly not making it easy for Barcelona.
00:01 (IST)29 AUG 2016
12' Bilbao are playing a great pressing game, putting Barcelona and especially Ter Stegen under pressure when they have the ball. The tactic nearly worked, as Stegen played a poor pass under pressure, straight at the opposition attacker, who should've really scored with that chance.
23:57 (IST)28 AUG 2016
10' The ref books Umtiti for a foul on Eraso.
23:55 (IST)28 AUG 2016
8' It's been very even in the opening minutes, with both teams creating chances and getting the ball.
23:52 (IST)28 AUG 2016
5' Turan put the ball in the back of the net, but it won't count. Suarez was just barely offside.
23:51 (IST)28 AUG 2016
4' Barcelona should've had the lead there. Luis Suarez picked up the ball outside the box and managed to find Denis Suarez, who badly mishit his shot.
23:49 (IST)28 AUG 2016
2' Bilbao mount the first attack of the game and surge towards the Barcelona box. Susaeta puts a cross into the box, but it's straight at a defender.
23:47 (IST)28 AUG 2016
1' Both teams are ready and raring to go. Barcelona get the game underway from kick-off as the ref blows the whistle.
23:43 (IST)28 AUG 2016
The teams have made their way out of the tunnel and onto the field.
23:40 (IST)28 AUG 2016
This match will be Messi's 350th game in a Barcelona shirt. In the 41 games he's played so far in 2016, he has scored a staggering 37 goals and 26 assists - the most of any player this year.
22:41 (IST)28 AUG 2016
Both teams have released their confirmed line-ups.
Athletic Bilbao: Iraizoz, De Marcos, Balenziaga, Boveda, Laporte, Iturraspe, Benat, Eraso, Williams, Aduriz, Susaeta
Barcelona: Ter Stegen, Pique, Rakitic, Sergio, Denis, Arda, Suarez, Messi, Alba, S. Roberto, Umtiti
22:37 (IST)28 AUG 2016
🔴🔵 FCB XI:
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 28, 2016
1. Ter Stegen
3. Piqué
4. Rakitic
5. Sergio
6. Denis
7. Arda
9. Suárez
10. Messi
18. Alba
20. S. Roberto
23. Umtiti #FCBlive
22:37 (IST)28 AUG 2016
🦁 Hoy jugamos con:
— Athletic Club (@AthleticClub) August 28, 2016
Iraizoz
De Marcos
Balenziaga
Bóveda
Laporte
Iturraspe
Beñat
Eraso
Williams
Aduriz
Susaeta#AthleticBarça #athlive
22:35 (IST)28 AUG 2016
Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona Match Preview
Athletic Bilbao host defending champions Barcelona at the San Mames stadium in what will be the first home game of their season. They didn’t exactly get off to the ideal start in their season opener against Sporting Gijon, which they surprisingly lost 2-1. Bilbao are aware that the odds are stacked heavily against them in this game, but Barcelona will know better than to expect an easy win, having gone 4-0 down against the same opposition in the Spanish Super Cup a year ago. Bilbao can most certainly threaten the Barcelona defence through the likes of Aritz Aduriz and Inaki Williams, but the question is whether their defence will be able to cope with the lethal Barcelona forwards.
Barcelona come into this game after absolutely thrashing Real Betis 6-2 in the opening match of their season at the Camp Nou. Lionel Messi chipped in with two goals and an assist, while Luis Suarez continued to cause nightmares for his opponents, scoring a hat-trick in the game. Suarez has been in the form of his life over his last few games for Barcelona, his contributions surely making him at least as valuable to the team as Messi, if not more. This game will be their first since the sale of Claudio Bravo to Manchester City, as Marc-Andre ter Stegen finally takes his place as Barcelona’s first choice keeper in La Liga. The Blaugrana won’t be satisfied with anything less than three points from the game, as they look to mount a successful league title defence.
90+3' And that's the end of the game. Luis Enrique and Barcelona go home with three points, but it was a well contested game. Barcelona didn't dominate as they would've liked, but they got the result in the end. Bilbao had a great game and are unlucky to walk away from this game empty handed. Both managers will be satisfied with the performances their teams put on, and deservedly so. Great game.