Latest news with #SanMames
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Three takeaways from Athletic Club 0-3 Barcelona
Barcelona cruised to a 3-0 win over Athletic Club on Sunday night in their final game of the season at San Mames. Robert Lewandowski's brace early in the first half gave Barcelona the lead against the run of play, and the Basque side simply could not gain control over the proceedings once the Catalans were gifted the head start. Advertisement Eventually, a Dani Olmo penalty in stoppage time made it 3-0 for the club as they crossed the 100-goal mark in La Liga and concluded their campaign four points above Real Madrid. The game was a special one in many ways, for it marked the end of what has been a stupendous season. Additionally, however, it was the last time in a Barcelona shirt for some players although their identities are still unknown. Barça Universal brings you three talking points from Athletic Club 0-3 Barcelona. Ending on a high Barcelona's title celebrations last weekend understandably saw the team turn up slightly sub-par against Villarreal in their final game at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. Advertisement Hansi Flick's men fell short on the night and dropped three points, although it made no real difference to their campaign for the title was already in the bag. For a season that has been so special for the club, however, it was always clear that the team deserved a better and more resounding way to sign off and that was exactly what they did against Athletic Club last night. Ernesto Valverde's men have been in tremendous form this season and finished the campaign fourth on the standings only behind the big three. To put three goals comfortably past them while not firing on all cylinders, needless to say, perfectly encompasses how lethal the team have been in attack all season. Advertisement What made the night more special was the clean sheet that Barcelona maintained despite the threat of Nico Williams and Inaki Willians – one that is even more special because they did it without Inigo Martinez on the field. Gavi returns to his best Signing off on a high. (Photo by Juan Manuel) Most of Hansi Flick's players have over-delivered compared to what was expected of them this season and the overall improvement in level is indeed a testament to the manager's abilities. One player who generated some criticism in recent months and even dropped out of the starting XI to play a fringe role, however, was Gavi. Having recovered from his ACL blow only midway through the season, the midfielder understandably was used very cautiously by the manager. He did show promise on some occasions but was overall still away from his best version. Advertisement Last night, however, the vintage Gavi turned up and showed exactly where he fits in the manager's plans and thus ended the season with a performance that will get Flick thinking about how to incorporate him into the setup. The German coach initially saw Gavi as an attacking midfielder, but his performance last night as part of the double-pivot with Pedri was phenomenal and an indicator that he can play in that position come next season. In 90 minutes against the Basque side, he completed 119 touches, 97% of his passes, completed two dribbles, and won a staggering 16 of 18 ground duels attempted. With the vintage Gavi back, it will be interesting to see where the manager fits him into his dynamics in pre-season. The curtains close The 2024-25 season has simply flown by for Barcelona and that is a clear-cut indicator of what a special year it has been. Advertisement Hansi Flick's arrival and the manner in which he transformed the team into an attacking monster was not something many pundits anticipated, but it now appears that the Flick-Barcelona connection is a match made in heaven. The campaign has given the team and fans so many reasons to celebrate – right from the big Champions League nights to the title-conquering runs in La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup, and the Copa del Rey. It all finally came to a close last night with Barcelona walking off the field one last time this season at San Mames. All in all, Barcelona can feel mighty proud of the football, mentality, and personality they have shown all season. Had a few minutes gone differently, they would have another game to play at the weekend but fate has it to wait for another season. With the club not participating in the FIFA Club World Cup, the dressing room will now head into some much-needed vacations before returning to international duty. For the non-internationals, pre-season will begin only after seven weeks.
New York Times
26-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Why do Barcelona feel they need to sign more attacking players?
'After a lot of parties, that was pretty much the perfect end.' Hansi Flick was a happy man in the press conference after Barcelona ended their season with a convincing display against Athletic Club at San Mames. The Catalans won 3-0, thanks to two goals from Robert Lewandowski, a late penalty scored by Dani Olmo and an erratic attacking performance from the hosts. Advertisement Athletic were brave at the start, pushed by the will to give a proper send-off to the club legend Oscar De Marcos, who was playing his last game for the club after 16 seasons, but had their hopes crushed as soon as Barca had their first big chance. Lewandowski scored with a beautiful dink over Unai Simon after 14 minutes, and three minutes later doubled the score line heading from a corner kick. It was the ruthless performance we have seen plenty of times this season from a team filled with firepower up front. The Pole scored his 100th and 101st goals in a Barca shirt across 147 games. It is close to the figure he scored with Borussia Dortmund (103) — but he needed 187 appearances for them. With Lewandowski alongside Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, Barca have had the best attacking trio across the big five European leagues — they have scored 94 goals and registered 53 assists between them. The numbers are remarkable, so why is Barca's main priority in the upcoming transfer window to bolster their attack with a winger? Flick has had arguably the two best wingers in the world this season — Raphinha and Yamal are Ballon d'Or contenders — but that has not prevented the names of Liverpool's Luis Diaz and Manchester United's Marcus Rashford from making the rounds in Barcelona. 'We like Luis (Diaz) and we like Rashford, but we can't talk too much about players from other clubs,' said Barca sporting director Deco last week in an interview to local radio station RAC1. Flick went further: 'In the last matches we played, we missed some more footballers in attacking positions, so we have to bring more options and more quality. This is Deco's job, and I will support him. 'Of course, Luis Diaz and Rashford are fantastic players. I like them and we'll see what happens,' the manager added. This is not a new wish. In January, the name of Rashford was linked to Barcelona but they were not in a financial position to consider a deal. Last summer, the Catalans explored the signings of Diaz and Athletic Club's Nico Williams as well. Barca believe planning for next season with only one preferred line-up, featuring the Raphinha-Lewandowski-Yamal trio, is a mistake. The team will take part in three competitions once again, and the packed fixture list this season offered regular chances foro at least four players to fill those three positions. Advertisement Plus, there is an extra level of importance with Flick's tactical approach. The strikers are essential to the German's counter-pressing system, as well as the high defensive line. If Barca want to keep the same standards, they need physical prowess up front to lead the team by example. The key games against Inter Milan and Real Madrid also had an impact in their planning. Flick felt he was short of options up front. Lewandowski suffered a hamstring injury in April and Barca had to face the Copa del Rey final and the Champions League semi-final with Raphinha, Ferran Torres and Yamal as the only reliable options, while they could not afford to drop a point in La Liga's title race. That ties to another key point: beyond Torres, Flick does not trust any other back-up striker in this squad. Ansu Fati is expected to leave on loan next season, with Monaco interested in taking him. Pau Victor will follow the same path if a new signing comes in. Finally, there is Lewandowski's age. At 36, the Pole has had the best season of his Barca career, scoring 41 goals across all competitions. Next year will be the last of his current deal. Sources at Barcelona, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, have serious doubts about Lewandowski being able to keep up with those numbers next season. Besides the recent hamstring injury, the Pole has been dealing with back problems throughout the season. It should not be a surprise if his return worsens in 2026, and Barca must start thinking about his long-term replacement. Both Diaz and Rashford could tick that box, as they can provide a decent cover for the central role. The fact their preferred position is playing from the left is also seen as a positive, because it would allow Flick to use Raphinha in the No 10 role, where he was heavily used at the start of the season when Dani Olmo was not eligible. Or even allow Yamal to start playing more centrally — an option that has been considered in the first-team coaching staff. In fact, this is the path where many at the club envisage Yamal growing into, as his game keeps evolving. Advertisement We are at the early stages of the summer, and it is difficult to know what deals Barcelona will be able to afford in the next transfer window. Once again, we can expect a summer full of salary limit questions and La Liga overseeing registrations. But the list of priorities has already been laid by Deco and Flick — and they hope to make the Catalans an even more explosive side than they have been this season.
Reuters
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Lewandowski brace ensures victorious end to Barcelona's season in Bilbao
May 25 (Reuters) - A rapid pair of goals by Robert Lewandowski early in the first half and a penalty by Dani Olmo deep in added time ensured a comfortable 3-0 victory for Barcelona over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, ending the season on a high note for the LaLiga champions. With the title clinched more than a week ago, Sunday's match at San Mames stadium had little at stake for either side. Barcelona ended their LaLiga campaign at the summit with 88 points, four ahead of Real Madrid, with Atletico Madrid third on 76 points. Athletic Bilbao and Villarreal round out the top five, ensuring their places in next season's Champions League. They are followed by Real Betis and Celta Vigo who will represent Spain in the Europa League while eighth-placed Rayo Vallecano booked a spot in the Conference League. Barcelona manager Hansi Flick opted to rest several regular starters, including his top goalkeepers Wojciech Szczesny and Marc-Andre ter Stegen, giving third-choice keeper Inaki Pena his first start in more than four months. However, the night belonged to Lewandowski, who put Barcelona ahead in the 14th minute. The Polish striker coolly controlled a pinpoint pass from Fermin Lopez, beating the offside trap before deftly lobbing the ball over goalkeeper Unai Simon. Four minutes later, Lewandowski doubled his tally, heading home from a corner after a clearance error by Athletic's midfielder Unai Gomez. Despite the victory, Lewandowski fell short of matching Kylian Mbappe's 31 goals for the LaLiga season, missing a clear opportunity for a hat-trick shortly after the restart. He finished second in the LaLiga scoring race with 27 goals. In the 92nd minute, Olmo was fouled inside the box and, with Lewandowski having been substituted three minutes before, it was the Spanish international who stepped up to fire a tidy shot from the spot and wrap up Barcelona's win. "We knew it was the last game of the season and we had a plan to win it; we played well in the first half, we had everything under control all the way. It's almost the perfect season. Now let's enjoy the moment," Lewandowski told Movistar Plus.
CNA
25-05-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Lewandowski brace ensures victorious end to Barcelona's season in Bilbao
A rapid pair of goals by Robert Lewandowski early in the first half and a penalty by Dani Olmo deep in added time ensured a comfortable 3-0 victory for Barcelona over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, ending the season on a high note for the LaLiga champions. With the title clinched more than a week ago, Sunday's match at San Mames stadium had little at stake for either side. Barcelona ended their LaLiga campaign at the summit with 88 points, four ahead of Real Madrid, with Atletico Madrid third on 76 points. Athletic Bilbao and Villarreal round out the top five, ensuring their places in next season's Champions League. They are followed by Real Betis and Celta Vigo who will represent Spain in the Europa League while eighth-placed Rayo Vallecano booked a spot in the Conference League. Barcelona manager Hansi Flick opted to rest several regular starters, including his top goalkeepers Wojciech Szczesny and Marc-Andre ter Stegen, giving third-choice keeper Inaki Pena his first start in more than four months. However, the night belonged to Lewandowski, who put Barcelona ahead in the 14th minute. The Polish striker coolly controlled a pinpoint pass from Fermin Lopez, beating the offside trap before deftly lobbing the ball over goalkeeper Unai Simon. Four minutes later, Lewandowski doubled his tally, heading home from a corner after a clearance error by Athletic's midfielder Unai Gomez. Despite the victory, Lewandowski fell short of matching Kylian Mbappe's 31 goals for the LaLiga season, missing a clear opportunity for a hat-trick shortly after the restart. He finished second in the LaLiga scoring race with 27 goals. In the 92nd minute, Olmo was fouled inside the box and, with Lewandowski having been substituted three minutes before, it was the Spanish international who stepped up to fire a tidy shot from the spot and wrap up Barcelona's win. "We knew it was the last game of the season and we had a plan to win it; we played well in the first half, we had everything under control all the way. It's almost the perfect season. Now let's enjoy the moment," Lewandowski told Movistar Plus.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Barcelona star returns to training ahead of Athletic Club clash
A leading member of the defensive ranks at La Liga giants Barcelona on Saturday marked his return to group training. The player in question? Ronald Araújo. Stopper Araújo, for his part, was a notable absentee from Barcelona's matchday squad to face Villarreal last weekend. This came owing to a niggling knee problem on the part of the Uruguayan. Araújo, in turn, had been forced to sit out training across the week to date, throwing his status for Barca's season finale against Athletic Club up in the air. As alluded to above, though, on Saturday morning, the 26-year-old was back in the thick of things at The Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. As confirmed by journalist Alex Pintanel of Relevo, and showcased in the photo below, Araújo took part in group training earlier today. The central defender is therefore expected to be afforded a call-up to the Blaugrana's travelling squad bound for San Mamés on Sunday. 🚨📸 | Araujo is back in training after being left out of the squad against Villarreal due to knee discomfort [@alexpintanel] #fcblive ✅ — BarçaTimes (@BarcaTimes) May 24, 2025 Conor Laird – GSFN
