Barcelona rescued by Memphis Depay in Athletic Bilbao draw

BARCELONA salvage a point at Athletic Bilbao, rescued by new recruit Memphis Depay

Barcelona top LaLiga this evening, Saturday, August 21, but only after scraping to a hard-earned draw at Athletic Bilbao’s Nuevo San Mames stadium, when new signing Memphis Depay’s thunderbolt pulled the scores even for the Catalans.

Inigo Martinez opened the scoring after 50 minutes for the Basque Country side, heading home a fine goal, supplied by Muniain, after Athletic had totally dominated the first 45 minutes of this match, starting the second half with the same intensity, 

Inaki Williams was in teriffic form, as was his strike partner Ohian Sancet, who hit the crossbar with one attempt, after a skilful move involving a swivel and shot, with both men running the Barcelona defence ragged at times, a defence which contained another new signing, former man City centre half, Eric Garcia, who suffered the indignation of being red carded for hauling down Nico Williams in the 93rd minute, when he was clean through on the Barca goal.

Barcelona were not without their opportunities, as Ronald Koeman and his team try to adjust to life without Lionel Messi, but on today’ form, although it is early to say, there might just be a new hero developing in the form of Dutch international Depay, who had some moments of sheer brilliance, and he could have notched a winner right at the death, if he hadn’t dragged his shot wide of the Bilbao goal.

Koeman lost Gerard Pique in the first half, as he limped off, to be replaced by Ronald Araujo, who would have had his name on the scoresheet had Brazil’s Martin Braithwaite not been judged to have committed a foul in the lead-up to a spectacular effort that found the back of the net, only to be ruled out.

There is  aburden on the shoulders of Frenkie de Jong in the centre of the park now that Messi has departed, and he came close to an equaliser when he attempted to chip the keeper, only minutes before Depay’s goal.

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