Barcelona Celebrate Camp Nou Return with 4–0 Win Over Athletic

Barcelona Return to Camp Nou in Style With 4–0 Win Over Athletic Bilbao

Barcelona marked their long-awaited return to the Camp Nou with a dominant 4–0 victory over 10-man Athletic Bilbao. More than 45,000 fans filled the partially reopened stadium, which is undergoing a huge redevelopment project expected to turn it into Europe’s largest football venue.

Camp Nou had been closed for over two years while major structural upgrades and modernisation work took place. Barcelona hope the project, financed with €1.45 billion from investors, will secure the club’s long-term financial future.

Lewandowski Strikes Early

Barcelona needed only four minutes to celebrate their comeback with a goal. Robert Lewandowski pounced after Alex Berenguer miscontrolled the ball near his own box, allowing the striker to steal possession and beat Unai Simón at the near post.

From that moment, Barcelona controlled the game with ease. Athletic arrived in poor form, having won only three league matches since September. Their confidence looked low and they rarely threatened the hosts.

Torres Doubles the Lead Before the Break

Just before half-time, Barcelona produced a beautiful second goal. Lamine Yamal launched a perfectly weighted long ball behind the defence, and Ferran Torres sprinted through, controlled the pass superbly, and finished calmly.

More Errors, More Punishment

Three minutes after the restart, Athletic again gifted Barcelona a goal when they tried to play out from the back. Fermin López intercepted the loose pass and drilled a powerful shot into the net.

Athletic’s frustration peaked when Oihan Sancet received a straight red card for a reckless challenge on López in the 53rd minute.

Yamal Shines With Two Assists

In the closing minutes, Barcelona completed the rout. Yamal drove forward on the counterattack and slipped another excellent assist to Torres, who made it 4–0 with his second goal of the night.

A Big Night, But Work Remains

The win lifts Barcelona level on points with Real Madrid at the top of La Liga, though Madrid still have a game in hand.

Despite the celebrations, Camp Nou remains far from complete. Large sections of the upper tier are still bare steel and concrete, with cranes towering over the stadium. The club has not confirmed a final completion date but hopes to gradually open more seating.

Barcelona also received UEFA approval this week to host Eintracht Frankfurt at Camp Nou on December 9, marking another step in the stadium’s phased reopening.