Barca thrash Athletic 4-0 to celebrate rebuilt Camp Nou
Barcelona Celebrate Grand Return to Rebuilt Camp Nou With Dominant 4-0 Victory Over Athletic Bilbao
Barcelona made a spectacular homecoming on Saturday as they returned to their renovated Camp Nou stadium after two and a half years away, securing a convincing 4-0 win over Athletic Bilbao to move joint top of La Liga.
The victory marked a historic moment for fans and the club, widely celebrated across sports platforms including www.cjsoftflix.com
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The Spanish champions originally planned to reopen Camp Nou a year earlier, but construction delays and logistical challenges forced a longer wait.
Their eventual return was marked by fireworks, fanfare, and a dominant performance on the pitch.
Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring early before Ferran Torres netted a brace, while Fermín López added another goal to secure a comfortable victory.
Athletic’s Oihan Sancet was shown a red card in the second half, worsening the visitors’ afternoon.
New manager Hansi Flick expressed immense joy after the match, calling the day “perfect” for the club, players, and supporters.
The win sees Barcelona level with arch-rivals Real Madrid at the top of the league standings.
“For everyone—the players, staff, and fans—this game was special,” Flick said.
“I’m happy with the clean sheet, the four goals, and the three points. The perfect day for us.”
A little over 45,000 fans filled the currently completed parts of the stadium. Despite the high ticket prices, the match was near sell-out, showcasing the excitement around the club’s long-awaited home return.
Barcelona expects to increase capacity gradually and eventually return to the full 105,000 seats by next season.
Goalkeeper Joan Garcia returned from injury after missing nine games and played a key role in securing Barcelona’s first clean sheet since September.
The fans waited years for this moment, but Lewandowski wasted no time giving them something to cheer about, scoring in the fourth minute after Eric Garcia won the ball high up the pitch.
Unai Simón got a hand to the shot but couldn’t keep it out as Lewandowski bagged his eighth goal of an injury-affected season.
Lewandowski described it as a moment he will “remember forever,” celebrating scoring Barcelona’s first goal in their new-look stadium.
In the 10th minute, fans chanted the name of Lionel Messi, who recently made an impromptu visit to the renovated Camp Nou. Barça supporters kept tradition alive by honoring the club legend.
They also booed Nico Williams, who previously rejected a transfer to Barcelona.
Barcelona continued to pile on the pressure as Fermin Lopez and Dani Olmo tested Simón, while Athletic’s attacks remained limited.
Just before halftime, Lamine Yamal delivered a stunning outside-boot pass to put Torres through on goal. Torres finished clinically to double the lead.
Simón again might have done better, but Barca didn’t mind as they went into the break with control.
The Catalan giants struck again early in the second half when Joan Garcia’s high pressing helped set up López, who finished neatly for Barca’s third.
Athletic’s afternoon deteriorated further as Sancet received a red card for hacking down López following a VAR review.
Recently injured winger Raphinha returned to action and nearly scored moments after coming on, firing narrowly wide.
Barcelona sealed the win late on when Yamal delivered another superb assist, setting up Torres for his second goal of the match.
It was a perfect comeback celebration for fans inside their iconic stadium.
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