Athletic Bilbao 1-0 Barcelona: Another defeat, this time in La Liga

Posted by: neydmin Posted date: December 01, 2013 In: Neymar news | comment : 0

Full-time: Athletic Bilbao 1-0 Barcelona
Goals:
Match date: December 1, 2013
Stadium: San Mamés
Competition: La Liga
Barcelona line-up: Valdés, Montoya, Piqué, Mascherano, Adriano, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Neymar, Fabregas, Alexis Sanchez.

It took 15 games in La Liga for Barcelona to feel the bitter taste of defeat. The Blaugrana visited the new San Mamés stadium to take on Athletic Bilbao and couldn’t come out with any point after another disappointing performance. Lionel Messi has been out for a few weeks now and even though his absence was much felt immediately after, it now seems clear that Barcelona is lacking their main star. Tato Martino suffered their second consecutive loss after mid-week defeat against Ajax for the UEFA Champions League and not even Neymar‘s dynamism has been enough to take Barça to the winning track lately.

This has also been the first game of the season on which Barcelona failed to score a single goal. After 6 consecutive wins since October 26, Barça is now on a 2-game losing streak, ahead of their first fixture for the Copa del Rey this season, which will take place next Friday, against Cartagena.

Athletic Bilbao managed to score the only goal in the game around the 70th minute, right after Andrés Iniesta lost the ball possession deep inside Barça‘s half. Bilbao‘s winger Susaeta ran down the right wing just before picking out Muniain inside the box with a strong and low cross. Ahtletic Bilbao‘s wonder boy went for it as if his life depended on it and slotted the ball past Pinto, to put the home side on the lead. Barça couldn’t react and left San Mamés without any point in the bag and knowing that not only Atletico Madrid are now tied with them on the top of La Liga, but Real Madrid have also shortened the gap to 3 points.