finals

FC Barcelona claimed their second win of the 2024-2025 LaLiga EA Sports season after beating Athletic Club 2-1 on Saturday in their first match at the Estadi Lluys Companys, where they left a good impression against an opponent who continues to be denied as a visitor by the Blaugranas. Hansi Flick had a good official debut with Barça. After the setback in the Joan Gamper Trophy against AS Monaco, on this occasion his team was at a good level and enjoyed the best chances against the Copa del Rey champions, who tried to hold on supported by the desire of Nico Williams, booed without much noise by the ‘culer’ fans, and the actions of Alex Padilla, but who ended up giving in to the third league goal from a Robert Lewandowski who seems to recover his best scoring form. The final 2-1 did not come until the 75th minute, although the home team perhaps deserved it earlier. Almost always, under the baton of Pedri, the new starting eleven compared to Mestalla, and the work of Raphinha, they gave the impression of controlling the game, especially in the second 45 minutes when Ernesto Valverde’s men were much more dominated and had a much harder time deploying towards Marc-André ter Stegen’s area. And the game also started with the Blaugrana dominating against an orderly Athletic Club that knew how to hold their rival well from the start, as well as threatening as much as possible with Nico Williams. There were not too many chances on either side and it was Barça who struck first with the goal of the other ‘pearl’ on the pitch, Lamine Yamal. The winger drew up his classic left-footed play on the edge of Padilla’s area until he found the space to strike. Íñigo Lekue put his head in and made it impossible for his goalkeeper. Nico Williams was close to responding to his friend’s goal, but the 1-0 did not change the scenario too much, although Flick’s team had more chances to run on the counterattack because Athletic tried to take a step forward. Thus, Lewandowski warned with a powerful cross shot, but the woodwork denied him the goal for the first time. And when the final stretch was reached, Pau Cubarsí, in a possible excess of impetus, brought down Alex Berenguer and the VAR warned Gil Manzano, who did not hesitate to decree the penalty that Oihan Sancet converted into 1-1. LEWANDOWSKI RIGHT Neither Flick nor Valverde changed anything during the break. But FC Barcelona came out determined and dominant, with Pedri taking charge and now turning his game to the left because Yamal had lost some ‘punch’. Lekue suffered on that side and the main problems for the visitors came from that side. Lewandowski hit the woodwork again after a good header that did not wake up Athletic Club, with Nico Williams also less effervescent against the physical power of Jules Koundé. Even so, almost all the danger of the ‘Lions’ came when the winger got the ball, although he lacked finding a teammate, with his brother Iñaki not participating much. The Blaugrana team continued to insist on feeding their Polish scorer, who was relishing the goal when he hit a cross from the left, but who did not count on a great action of reflexes and agility from Padilla, who prevented the 2-1. However, he could not do so when the match entered its final stretch, in another cross from the left, this one from the omnipresent Pedri. The goalkeeper got his hand out and the ball fell once again to Lewandowski, who this time made no mistake to score his third league goal of the season and secure victory because Athletic lacked arguments for a draw and extended their away win against the ‘culers’ to 24 years. LINEUPS. –RESULT: FC BARCELONA, 2 – ATHLETIC CLUB, 1 (1-1, at half-time). –LINE-UPS. FC BARCELONA: Ter Stegen; Koundé, Cubarsí, Iñigo Martínez, Balde (Martín, min.91); Pedri, Bernal (Eric García, min.83), Raphinha; Yamal (Víctor, min.91), Lewandowski and Ferrán Torres (Fermín, min.63). ATHLETIC CLUB: Padilla; Lekue, Yeray, Vivian, Yuri; Vesga (Jaureguizar, min.63), Prados (Herrera, min.78); Berenguer (Ares, min.72), Sancet (Unai Gómez, min.62), Nico Williams; and Iñaki Williams (Guruzeta, min.78). –GOALS. 1-0, minute 24. Yamal. 1-1, minute 42. Sancet, penalty 2-1, minute 75. Lewandowski. –REFEREE: Gil Manzano (C.Extremeño). He admonished Cubarsí (min.41), Bernal (min.48), Lewandowski (min.85) and Fermín (min.96), for FC Barcelona, ​​and Yeray (min.38), Berenguer (min.56), Lekue (min.87), Herrera (min.96) and Jaureguizar (min.96), for Athletic Club. –STADIUM: Lluís Companys.

Rome, Aug 24 (EFE).- Parma gutted Milan on Saturday on the counterattack, exposing the problems of a ‘rossonero’ team that, once again, put in an insufficient performance, far from the expected level, accumulating countless errors in defense and showing itself practically sterile in attack.

Fonseca’s Milan are not firing on all cylinders. The first matchday was a draw at the last minute thanks to Álvaro Morata, who came on as a substitute; in this duel, the first away match, they were unable to beat the newly promoted Parma. In both games they started behind on the scoreboard, and in both they managed to equalise. But in this case, the fantasy move invented by the Portuguese Rafael Leao to hand the American Christian Pulisic a draw was not even enough to scrape a point.

The truth is that the game was always where Parma wanted it, fully deserving of the 3 points and a clear executor of a perfectly orchestrated plan. So much so that in the 2nd minute they were already leading the scoreboard with a play that they would repeat ad nauseam throughout the match. Quick exit, change of direction and attack of the space behind Calabria and Theo. That was the game.

The first joy of the match for Parma was the Romanian Dennis Man. He invented a backheel to give some oxygen to the exit. The change of play got past Calabria and Valeri put a low cross into the heart of the area, where Theo Hernandez lost his mark and Man himself finished easily to open the scoring.

It was not an isolated play. Every lost ball by Milan was a danger. The high defensive line was a recklessness that Parma took advantage of with the quality of the Spaniard Bernabé Zapata, who had a free rein in the centre of the field. The home team had countless opportunities on the counterattack, which was very fast against a naked Milan.

The Rossoneri held on at half-time. Before that, they had only been dangerous from set pieces, but the break seemed to change things somewhat. Milan were more aggressive and more important, and Leao came into his own, and he needs very little to be decisive.

It was a move far from goal, but one in which he showed his magic. He sat his opponent down on the touchline, increased his speed, looked for Theo for a one-two inside the area and left Pulisic alone to push. Seen and unseen. Leao saved Milan against the newly promoted team. Or so it seemed.

The joy didn’t last long. Ten minutes exactly. Far from being intimidated, Parma didn’t lose face in the game and stuck to their plan, confident that they were their best ally. It wasn’t long before the counterattacks came back to haunt a helpless Milan. The goal disallowed for offside was a simple warning that was soon made official with Cancellieri’s goal in the 77th minute, identical to Man’s opening goal.

Milan were weak in defence. And they paid for it. Leao had to come on in attack to give them some breathing room, but even that was not enough. Fonseca has played two official games and no wins. Milan, for now, remains the same as last season. Weak in defence, without a clear game plan and lacking in attack.

— Technical sheet:

2 – Parma: Suzuki; Coulibaly, Balogh, Circati, Valeri; Estevez, Barnabas; Man (Almqvist, m.4), Sohm (Cancellieri, m.59), Mihaila (Del Prato, m.70); Bonny .

1 – Milan: Maignan; Calabria (Emerson Royalm.67), Tomori, Pavlovic, Theo Hernández; Musah (Fofana, m.67), Reijnders; Pulisic (Chukwueze, m.86), Loftus-Cheek, Leao; Okafor (Jovic, m.86).

Goal: 1-0, m.2: Man; 1-1, m.66: Pulisic; 2-1, m.77: Chancellors.

Referee: JL Sacchi. He cautioned Pavlovlic (m.34), Emerson ROyal (m.88) and Loftus-Cheek (m,92) for Milan.

Incidents: Match corresponding to the second day of Serie A, played at the Ennio Tardini Stadium in Parma (north) in front of some 28,000 spectators.