Spanish champions Barcelona travelled to Basque outfit Athletic Bilbao on Sunday night looking to make it back-to-back victories at the start of the new La Liga season.
The away side entered the half-time break with a 1-0 lead courtesy of a brilliant header from midfielder Ivan Rakitic.
Both teams had chances to add to the scoring in an open second period, but Rakitic's effort proved the difference as Barcelona moved onto six points in the table.
Read how it all unfolded in Sports Mole's minute-by-minute live commentary of the action below.
6.16pmEvening all! Sports Mole's live La Liga coverage for the 2016-17 campaign continues from San Mames as Athletic Bilbao welcome the champions Barcelona. The Catalan giants opened their title defence with a 6-2 home win over Real Betis last weekend, but it was a disappointing start for Bilbao as Ernesto Valverde's team went down 2-1 at Sporting Gijon. Let's hope for an entertaining clash!
6.19pmBarcelona have actually won on each of their last two league visits to San Mames and also recorded a 2-1 victory in the Copa del Rey last season. Not since December 2013 have Barcelona suffered a league defeat away to Bilbao and the Basque side failed to score in their two league games with the champions last season. There is no question that the visitors enter this game as the favourites.
6.22pmLast season's corresponding league match at San Mames ended in a 1-0 Barcelona win, before the Catalan side thumped Bilbao 6-0 at Camp Nou on January 17. That said, Bilbao did record a 4-0 home victory over Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup last season. The omens are not exactly great for Bilbao tonight, but San Mames, which is already filling up, is always a difficult place to visit.
6.25pmRight, without further ado, let me bring you up-to-speed with the all-important team news. Who have Valverde and Luis Enrique selected? Any changes from their league openers? Let's take a look...
6.28pmTEAMS!
BILBAO: Iraizoz; De Marcos, Boveda, Laporte, Balenziaga; Iturraspe, Benat; Eraso, Susaeta, Williams; Aduriz
BARCA: Ter Stegen; Roberto, Pique, Umtiti, Alba; Denis, Busquets, Rakitic; Turan, Suarez, Messi
6.32pmBilbao boss Ernesto Valverde has made two changes to the team that lost 2-1 at Sporting Gijon last weekend, with Ander Iturraspe and Javier Eraso replacing Mikel San Jose and Raul Garcia in midfield. It is the same back four and goalkeeper, while Inaki Williams will again operate close to frontman Aritz Aduriz.
© Getty Images
6.35pmAs for Barcelona, Luis Enrique has made one change from the team that beat Real Betis 6-2 last time out and it comes in goal as Claudio Bravo, who has joined Manchester City, is replaced by Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Rafinha, Javier Mascherano and Andre Gomes are back on the bench for the Catalan outfit, while Denis Suarez, Sergi Roberto and Samuel Umtiti all keep their starting roles.
6.38pmSo there we have it. The teams are in and we are now just under 40 minutes from kickoff on this warm evening in Bilbao. I shall discuss the home side a little bit later, but let's start with Barcelona, who have already secured a trophy this season after beating Sevilla 5-0 on aggregate in the Spanish Super Cup earlier this month. One trophy in the bag and surely more to follow this term!
6.42pmLast season saw Barcelona claim the La Liga title for a 24th time after finishing one point clear of bitter rivals Real Madrid on the final weekend of the campaign. A wobble from Enrique's side allowed Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid back into the race in the final weeks, but the Catalan giants just about did enough to finish on 91 points, which were gathered courtesy of 29 wins, four draws and five defeats. They were also the leading scorers on 112 goals and had the second-best defensive record behind Atletico Madrid.
© AFP
6.45pmThat said, 91 points represented Barcelona's lowest points tally as champions since the 2008-09 season in what was Pep Guardiola's first campaign in charge of the Spanish giants. They did secure another Copa del Rey, but fell short in the Champions League after being eliminated by Atletico in the quarter-finals.
6.48pmSo, to this season! Barcelona started last week's home game against Real Betis missing a number of key players, but they made light work of the Seville outfit as they recorded all the points with a 6-2 victory. Betis did manage to level the scores in the 21st minute through Ruben Castro, but the champions scored another five as they began their challenge with a very comfortable three points.
6.52pmLionel Messi was once again sensational for the Catalan side and scored a brace, but it was Luis Suarez that stole the show with another hat-trick. The Uruguay international has now scored 17 times in his last six league appearances, which is just absolutely extraordinary. Neymar is still absent after Olympic duty, but Messi and Suarez are already well in the groove this season.
© AFP
6.55pmAs for Bilbao, Valverde's side opened their season with a 2-1 defeat at Sporting Gijon last weekend. The Basque side had one back in the 86th minute through Borja Viguera, but could not find a second as they lost in Gijon. For a team that has hopes of finishing in the top four this season, it was a poor start.
6.58pmIt has been a very, very quiet summer for Bilbao in terms of transfers, but they did manage to tie brilliant young centre-back Aymeric Laporte to a new contract after fighting off interest from Manchester City. The transfer market is still open for a few more days and it would not be a surprise to see Valverde look for options, although the Basque-only policy makes that very difficult indeed.
© Getty Images
7.02pmBilbao just missed out on a top-four finish in La Liga last season as they ended the campaign in fifth, two points off fourth-place Villarreal. That represented an improvement on seventh from 2014-15, but they will be keen to return to the Champions League positions having finished fourth in 2013-14.
7.05pmAduriz also enjoyed his best scoring season for Bilbao last term as the 35-year-old hit 36 goals in all competitions and that form earned him a spot in the Spain squad for Euro 2016. It did not quite work out for the forward in France, but he will once again be vital to Bilbao's chances of success this year.
7.08pmIn terms of what is ahead for the Basque club, they will return to La Liga action with a trip to Deportivo La Coruna after the international break, before hosting Valencia, travelling to Granada and welcoming Sevilla before the end of September. The Europa League group stages will also get underway next month and Bilbao are in Group F alongside Genk, Rapid Vienna and Sassuolo.
7.12pm
30 - In their last six La Liga games, @FCBarcelona have scored an average of five goals per game. Machine.
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) August 28, 2016
7.14pmHere we go then - the pre-match handshakes have been undertaken and the flags have been exchanged. Time for the football then I suppose! Let's hope for an entertaining contest from San Mames!
0 minKICKOFF! Barcelona get the first period underway at Camp Nou...
2 min... it must be said that there is a wonderful atmosphere inside the atmosphere tonight and the home side look up for this game in the early moments. Interesting to see Umtiti chosen ahead of Mascherano at the heart of the Barcelona defence and Aduriz will look to test the young Frenchman here.
4 minTalking of Aduriz, the Bilbao forward has just blasted his way past Umtiti and the centre-back is forced to make a recovery challenge to concede a corner. No real chances inside four minutes, but there is plenty of intent from the home side as Eraso and Williams operate close to Aduriz up top.
5 minCHANCE! Wonderful chance for Barcelona to open the scoring as Messi plays a super pass into Denis Suarez, but the youngster can only curl his effort just wide of Iraizoz's post!
5 minGOAL DISALLOWED! Turan has the ball in the back of the net for Barcelona, but Suarez was offside when the initial pass from Messi was played through. Bilbao slightly fortunate there.
7 minUmtiti is slightly fortunate to escape a booking after catching Williams, who was on the turn. This will be a tough game for Umtiti, who is new to Spanish football this season and new to Bilbao.
9 minIt must be said that the opening nine minutes of this match have just flown past. Bilbao are seeing plenty of the ball, but Barcelona have been the more threatening in the final third of the field.
10 minBOOKING! Umtiti (Barcelona) is booked for handball.
12 minHalf-chance for Bilbao as Benat delivers a dangerous free kick into the Barcelona box, but there are no takers at the far post and the away side manage to clear their lines. Still goalless at San Mames.
13 minSAVE! Ter Stegen gifts the ball to Benat and is forced to make a brilliant close-range save to prevent Barcelona from falling behind in this match. Nervous work from Ter Stegen there!
16 minSixteen minutes on the clock and it has been an open and entertaining contest at San Mames, with both teams having chances to make the breakthrough. Strangely, Barcelona are not enjoying their usual domination of the ball as Bilbao press high up the field and force the visitors into a few mistakes.
18 minThe rain is falling in Bilbao and some of the supporters are seeking cover higher in the stand! Not used to this weather here! Back on the pitch, Ter Stegen gets down to claim a Williams cross.
20 minWilliams breaks down the right and looks to pick out Aduriz with a low cross, but Pique is across to make the challenge and Bilbao force another corner. Barcelona have had the better chances in the opening 20 minutes of this match, but the home side have had more of the ball in the final third.
21 minGOAL! Bilbao 0-1 Barcelona (Rakitic)
22 minStunning, just stunning. Barcelona make the breakthrough in the 21st minute of this match as Turan delivers a cross onto the head of Rakitic, who finds the top corner with a brilliant header!
25 minBilbao need to be very careful that they do not concede another in the next couple of minutes because Barcelona are purring and look capable of scoring each time they break into the final third. It has been quite bizarre to see Barcelona playing mostly on the counter attack so far tonight.
27 minBilbao have managed to put their foot on the ball in the last couple of minutes, but they cannot seem to get Aduriz in the game at the moment. There are goals in this game for the home side.
29 minMessi attempts to dance between the challenges of four, five Bilbao defenders, but Laporte is across at the final moment to put his foot on the ball and clear the danger. The home side break down the other end with Balenziaga, but it is brilliant defensive work from Luis Suarez this time.
31 minBilbao keep coming back as they work the ball into wide positions, but Ter Stegen has not been seriously tested since Benat had that chance at 0-0. Super game of football at San Mames here.
34 minThe next goal in this match - if there indeed is one - could be absolutely vital. The home supporters are staying with their team and an equaliser would completely change this game, but a second for Barcelona would make things very difficult for the hosts. It is very delicately poised with 34 played.
35 minDenis Suarez gets two bites at the cherry as Barcelona again work the ball into the Bilbao box, but the midfielder's second attempt is straight at Iraizoz as it remains 1-0 to the visitors here.
36 minUmtiti scoops the ball over the Bilbao crossbar after a Messi free kick had been cleared into the path of the centre-back. Just a few signs that the away side are taking control of the possession.
37 minSAVE! Iraizoz is forced down low to keep out a diving header from Messi!
37 minBOOKING! Busquets (Barcelona) is booked for dissent.
38 minBOOKING! Luis Suarez (Barcelona) also booked for dissent.
40 minSAVE! Aduriz fires one towards the bottom corner, but Ter Stegen is on hand to make the save. This game is bubbling along nicely at the moment as the temperature rises here.
41 minAnother stop from Ter Stegen as Benat winds up one from distance!
43 minOn the balance of play, Bilbao deserve to be level approaching the end of the first period, but Barcelona still have the lead courtesy of that brilliant header from Rakitic. It must be said that the quality of football on display has been brilliant from both teams. Credit to Bilbao for their response.
45 minCHANCE! Wonderful chance for Barcelona to score a second on the counter as Messi feeds Turan inside the Bilbao box, but the Turk somehow places his effort wide of the post!
45 min+1BOOKING! Susaeta (Bilbao) is booked for a late challenge on Rakitic.
45 min+2HALF-TIME: Bilbao 0-1 Barcelona
8.03pmSo there we have it. The referee brings the first period to a close with Barcelona leading 1-0 courtesy of a brilliant header from Rakitic in the 21st minute of action. It has been far from one-way traffic, however, with Bilbao also having a number of opportunities to find the back of the net here.
8.08pmSTATISTICS! Barcelona have dominated the possession with 68%, while they have had six attempts, two of which were on target. Bilbao, meanwhile, hit the target with three of their four attempts. It has been a spicy half in terms of challenges and four players have gone in the book. One for handball (Umtiti), two for dissent (Luis Suarez, Busquets) and another for a late challenge (Susaeta).
8.13pmBENCH WATCH! Bilbao have a number of attacking options on their bench tonight, with the likes of Raul Garcia, Sabin and Muniain among those that could make a difference in the second period. Barcelona, meanwhile, have the likes of Rafinha, Digne, Munir and Gomes on an impressive bench.
8.16pm
At the break, Barça lead 1-0 thanks to a header from Rakitic #FCBlive #AthleticFCB pic.twitter.com/YbdF1ISr6j
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 28, 2016
46 minRESTART! Bilbao resume the action on home soil...
47 min... no changes from either side at the break, which is not too much of a surprise. However, I suspect that both managers will have alterations in mind for the second period. More of the same please.
48 minHalf-chance for Bilbao as Laporte and Aduriz both rise to meet a corner from Benat and it is Laporte whose header just drops over the crossbar. Super delivery into a dangerous area there.
50 minBarcelona have almost gone to a back three in the early stages of the second period with Busquets dropping in alongside Pique and Umtiti in central defence and Alba and Roberto stretching the play in the wide positions. Bilbao remain patient as they allow the away side possession of the ball here.
52 minYou still get the feeling that there is something in this game for Bilbao, but they cannot afford to concede a second goal, not against this Barcelona team who are prepared to play on the counter-attack. Messi slides in Roberto in a wide position, but Iturraspe is across to make the challenge.
54 minPique looks to have a problem here after taking a knock while challenging for a set piece, but the centre-back does seem fit to continue. Still 1-0 to the visitors with 54 minutes on the clock.
55 minCLOSE! Barcelona launch another counter and Messi looks to bend one into the bottom corner after a smart pass from Luis Suarez, but the Argentine's effort is just wide of the post!
56 minBOOKING! Iturraspe (Bilbao) is booked for tugging Busquets to the deck.
58 minCHANCE! Luis Suarez winds one up at the far post, but his volley from a Roberto cross fizzes past the post! It looked to be finding the top corner of the net and breaking it in the process!
59 minBOOKING! Roberto (Barcelona) is booked for a foul on Benat.
62 minLittle under 30 minutes remaining at San Mames and Barcelona still lead courtesy of that first-half header from Rakitic. Bilbao have not offered too much in this second period, but they are still very much in the game. That said, a second for Barcelona would, for me, be game, set and match.
62 minBOOKING! Eraso (Bilbao) is booked for a pull on Rakitic.
63 minBILBAO SUBS! Vesga and Garcia replace Eraso and Iturraspe.
64 minBOOKING! Aduriz (Bilbao) is booked for dissent.
66 minCLOSE! Raul Garcia works a yard of space outside the Barcelona box before aiming one towards the bottom corner and his effort just misses the post. More like it from the hosts!
66 minSAVE! Williams fires straight at Ter Stegen from close range.
68 minBarcelona are preparing to make a double change with 68 minutes on the clock.
70 minStill more than 20 minutes of football remaining and you do get the feeling that there are chances for Bilbao as Susaeta sends one over the crossbar from distance. Double Barcelona change here.
71 minCHANCE! Messi slips at the final moment and misses the target after Luis Suarez had found the Argentine at the end of another fast counter-attack. Not like him to miss from there!
72 minBARCELONA SUBS! Mascherano and Andre Gomes replace Umtiti and Denis Suarez.
74 minSusaeta is seeing plenty of the ball for Bilbao in a wide position, but the final pass is not really there at the moment and Barcelona are prepared to sit deep and play on the counter-attack here.
76 minBILBAO SUB! Muniain replaces Susaeta in Bilbao's final sub.
78 minLittle over 10 minutes of football remaining and still no sign of an equaliser for Bilbao, who have made all three of their substitutions. Barcelona are more than prepared to sit deep and play on the counter and it would not be a surprise to see a second goal arrive through that avenue here.
81 minAs it stands, Barcelona are joining Real Madrid and Las Palmas on six points, while Bilbao would remain in the relegation zone on zero points after losing 2-1 away at Sporting Gijon last week.
82 minCHANCE! Luis Suarez turns the Bilbao defence inside out and looks to bend one into the top corner, but his effort is wide. Has not quite happened for the striker in this match!
83 minBOOKING! Benat (Bilbao) is booked for a late challenge on Messi.
84 minBARCELONA SUB! Rafinha replaces Turan for the away side.
86 minCLOSE! Benat just misses the top corner with a brilliant free kick!
88 minBilbao continue to deliver from wide positions, but Barcelona have defended very well tonight.
90 minMuniain goes down inside the Barcelona box and wants a penalty, but the referee is not interested and Bilbao are furious. Someone has been booked here so let me just confirm that!
90 minBOOKING! Williams (Bilbao) is booked for dissent.
90 minBOOKING! Balenziaga (Bilbao) is also booked for dissent.
90 min+1We are into the first minute of three additional minutes here.
90 min+2Time is running out for Bilbao and Barcelona have possession of the ball.
90 min+3Bilbao's chance might have gone now. They have played very well tonight, but Barcelona clear down-field and we are into the final minute of action. It has to come in the next 60 seconds.
90 min+3Alba cuts out a through De Marcos pass!
90 min+4CHANCE! Wonderful chance for Barcelona to score a second as Messi sets up Luis Suarez, but the striker has one cleared off the line. It just will not go in for the striker!
90 min+4FULL-TIME: Bilbao 0-1 Barcelona
9.10pmSo there we have it. The referee brings the second period to a close with Barcelona running out 1-0 winners courtesy of a first-half header from Rakitic. That it just about it from me tonight, but be sure to stick around the site for the latest news filtering through this evening. Until next time!
