Raphinha Shines as Barcelona Dominates Athletic Club

Barcelona kicked off their La Liga 2026/27 campaign with a resounding 5-0 victory over Elche, even with several international stars held back. Fermín López netted a brace in this commanding win, following four successful pre-season fixtures. Hansi Flick's squad demonstrated exceptional performance, creating nine significant chances and registering 4.38 xG, while limiting Elche to just 0.70 xG.

Conversely, Athletic Club started their season with a 3-1 home defeat against Sevilla. Their challenge was amplified when Yuri Berchiche received an 11th-minute red card, forcing them to play with ten men for most of the match. New coach Edin Terzic faces the task of rebuilding the team, integrating younger talents like midfielders Beñat Gerenabarrena and Peio Canales.

Raphinha is expected to lead Barcelona's attack following the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres. He impressed in the opener against Elche, scoring twice and assisting a goal while playing upfront. This mirrors his performance in January's Spanish Supercopa against Athletic Club, where he also scored twice. His strike rate of a goal every 107 minutes last season suggests he will be a key scorer.

Barcelona boasts a strong recent record against Athletic Club, having won their last five encounters to nil. Athletic Club has not scored against Barcelona in over two years and has struggled offensively, averaging just 1.13 goals per game last season. Barcelona's defense has also tightened, conceding only twice in their last five home league fixtures, indicating a strong likelihood of another clean sheet.