Barcelona marked their long-awaited return to the Camp Nou after two and a half years with a resounding 4-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao. The match, Barcelona's first at the partially renovated stadium since May 2023, saw a vibrant atmosphere with 45,401 fans filling the available seats.

The Catalan side wasted no time in asserting their dominance, with Robert Lewandowski opening the scoring in the 4th minute, capitalizing on a defensive error from Athletic Bilbao. The veteran striker pounced on a loose ball, beating goalkeeper Unai Simon with a powerful low strike. Barcelona continued to control the game, with Athletic struggling to create any significant threats. Just before halftime, Ferran Torres extended Barcelona's lead, finishing off a brilliant pass from Lamine Yamal.

The second half began with Barcelona maintaining their momentum. Fermin Lopez added a third goal just three minutes after the restart, further solidifying Barcelona's advantage. Athletic Bilbao's woes deepened when Oihan Sancet was shown a straight red card in the 53rd minute for a reckless challenge on Lopez. With a man down, the visitors struggled to contain Barcelona's attack, and Torres scored his second goal of the night in the closing stages, assisted once again by Yamal, sealing the emphatic victory.

Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal were stand out performers in the match. Barcelona's coach, Hansi Flick, expressed his delight with the team's performance, stating that "Everything was perfect. The clean sheet is important to us and gives us confidence". He also praised the fans and the overall atmosphere of the match.

The win sees Barcelona climb to the top of the La Liga standings, level on points with Real Madrid. Athletic Bilbao, meanwhile, slipped to eighth place in the table. Barcelona will now focus on their upcoming Champions League fixture against Chelsea, before returning to Camp Nou to host Alavés next weekend.