“Raphinha makes Vinicius look average” - Twitter explodes as Barcelona secure nervy 1-0 win against Athletic Club

Barcelona extended their lead over Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga table to nine points with a 1-0 win against Athletic Bilbao at San Mames on Sunday.

Fans on Twitter exploded with excitement as the match unfolded. Raphinha scored the goal for the Catalan club in the injury time of the first half (45+1'). It looked like Inaki Williams had equalized late in the second half. The goal, however, was overruled.

The Blaugrana had Robert Lewandowski back in the lineup after the Polish striker nursed a hamstring injury. Ferran Torres and Raphinha partnered the former Bayern Munich attacker in the attack.

Jules Kounde and Andreas Christensen were the central defending pairing in the absence of the suspended Ronald Araujo. The Uruguayan picked up a red card in the previous match against Valencia.

With a La Liga showdown against Real Madrid on the horizon, the game was a crucial one for the Catalan club. Xavi's side lived up to the occasion. They saw the majority of the ball as well, keeping a 66 percent possession.

Despite having a total of 12 shots, Ernesto Valverde's team were unable to find the back of the net for the majority of the match. Inaki William's 87th-minute strike was overruled. Barca now have 65 points from 25 La Liga matches.

Here are some of the best reactions across Twitter after Barcelona's win against Athletic Bilbao:

Barcelona president Joan Laporta reacted to the Negreira case

Barcelona have been accused of paying former vice-president of the refereeing committee, Enriquez Negreira a sum of €7.4 million between 2001 and 2018.

The Blaugrana reportedly wanted neutral referees to be given charge of their matches in return.

The allegations have drawn reactions across the football world. Barca president Joan Laporta has now released a statement, saying:

“Culers, be calm. Barça are innocent of what it is accused of, and the victim of a campaign against its honour, in which everyone is now involved. We are not surprised, though. We will defend Barça and prove our innocence. Many will have to rectify."

The Blaugrana are reportedly looking to host a press conference within the next two weeks.