Rodri makes Barcelona debut as Raphinha and Fermin Lopez secure victory over Athletic Club

Barcelona made it two wins from two in La Liga after easing past Athletic Club at Spotify Camp Nou. Hansi Flick named a youthful starting XI featuring four teenagers, but it was an experienced head who broke the deadlock. Raphinha collected a precise through ball from Pedri in the 37th minute, rounded goalkeeper Unai Simon, and slotted home to register his third goal of the campaign.

The hosts dominated proceedings, with Simon forced into eight saves to keep the Basque side in the contest. Lamine Yamal rattled the crossbar in the second half, while Anthony Gordon fired narrowly over during his first start for the Catalan giants.

Athletic Club failed to register a single shot on target throughout the 90 minutes. Their resistance was finally broken again eight minutes from time. Fermin Lopez capitalised on a poor clearance from Aymeric Laporte following Karim Adeyemi's low cross to tap in from close range.

The dominant performance highlighted Flick’s successful integration of both youth and marquee signings. The German manager trusted teenagers Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, Marc Bernal, and Xavi Espart from the first whistle, showcasing his faith in La Masia's latest generation.

The biggest reception of the night was reserved for Rodri. The Spain international, who arrived from Manchester City in a total package worth €76.5 million (£65m), stepped onto the pitch in the 63rd minute alongside Dani Olmo to replace Raphinha and Bernal.

Rodri had missed the opening 5-0 thrashing of Elche after undergoing minor back surgery following his Golden Ball-winning exploits at the World Cup. His introduction drew huge cheers from the home crowd, marking a new chapter for the reigning champions' midfield.

This routine victory extended Barcelona’s formidable La Liga winning streak at Camp Nou to 20 matches. It is their longest run of consecutive home league victories since putting together a 25-game streak between November 2012 and January 2014.

For Athletic Club, the defeat prolongs a miserable record in Catalonia. The Basque outfit are now winless in their last 16 visits to Camp Nou, and their inability to test the Barcelona defence highlighted a significant gap in attacking quality. Nico Williams offered a brief spark in the first half but dragged his effort wide, summarising a blunt display from the visitors.

Barcelona will look to build on this flawless start as they aim to defend their La Liga crown. With two dominant wins, seven goals scored, and consecutive clean sheets, Flick’s side are already setting a relentless pace.

The return of Rodri to full fitness provides a massive boost for the Catalan giants as their fixture schedule intensifies. Meanwhile, Athletic Club must quickly regroup and find a way to sharpen their attack after failing to threaten the champions.