La Liga: Barcelona beat Athletic 2-0, Mbappe hat-trick for Madrid

Raphinha nets another to keep Barcelona perfect as Mbappe hits three for Madrid

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Barcelona maintained their perfect start to the La Liga season with a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao at the Camp Nou, Raphinha and Fermin Lopez scoring against a side that failed to register a shot on target. Kylian Mbappe had struck a hat-trick the previous night as Real Madrid beat Real Sociedad 4-1, while ten-man Celta Vigo lost 2-1 at home to Osasuna.

Barcelona, Spain: Athletic Bilbao did not have a shot on target. That is the shortest way to describe Thursday night at the Camp Nou.

Barcelona controlled possession throughout without finding a way through until Pedri produced a moment of quality in the 37th minute, threading Raphinha in on goal for a finish struck in style. Lamine Yamal, who looked more threatening than he had on Sunday, had already tested Unai Simon inside the opening quarter of an hour.

Simon kept Athletic in it after the break with a series of saves, and might have kept the margin at one had Aymeric Laporte not erred in the 82nd. Fermin Lopez took the gift and doubled the lead — his third goal of the campaign, following the brace he scored at Elche on the opening weekend.

Two matches, two wins, seven goals scored and none conceded. Hansi Flick’s champions have not been troubled yet.

The win followed confirmation earlier in the day that Dominik Livakovic had joined on a four-year deal from Fenerbahce. The 31-year-old Croatia goalkeeper arrived in the city on Tuesday, though it remains unclear whether he will stay with the first team this season or go out on loan.

Mbappe’s Three at the Bernabeu

Real Madrid had kept pace the night before, beating Real Sociedad 4-1 in Jose Mourinho’s first home match of his second spell in charge.

Mbappe scored in the 40th minute after Federico Valverde carried the ball from his own half, and again on the hour and in the 80th. Vinicius Junior scored the other, set up by Jude Bellingham, who supplied two assists on the night. Luka Sucic had equalised for Sociedad four minutes before half-time, and Madrid were booed at the interval with the score at 1-1.

ALSO READ: Raphinha, Lopez score twice each as Barcelona open with five and send Mourinho a message

“A few boos won’t hurt anyone, they actually make you grow,” Mourinho said afterwards. His side have won both league matches.

Osasuna Turn It Around at Balaidos

The day’s earlier kick-off produced the round’s upset. Iago Aspas put Celta Vigo ahead in the 14th minute and the hosts dominated possession before the break.

Then Marcos Alonso was sent off in the 51st following a VAR check for a dangerous challenge, and the match inverted. Kike Barja levelled three minutes later after weak Celta defending, and in the 64th Ante Budimir put Osasuna ahead from the penalty spot after a handball in the home side’s area.

Celta could not respond with ten men. Osasuna leave Balaidos with three points from a game they had been losing.


Results — La Liga 2026-27
Barcelona 2-0 Athletic Bilbao (Raphinha 37′, Fermin Lopez 82′)
Celta Vigo 1-2 Osasuna (Iago Aspas 14′; Kike Barja 54′, Ante Budimir 64′ pen) Red card: Marcos Alonso (Celta Vigo) 51′
Real Madrid 4-1 Real Sociedad (Kylian Mbappe 40′, 60′, 80′, Vinicius Junior 68′; Luka Sucic 44′)

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