Barcelona's Convincing Answer

BILBAO, SUNDAY — Barcelona's narrow victory over Athletic Bilbao serves as a convincing response to the pressure of the title race in La Liga against their eternal rival, Real Madrid. The series of positive results achieved by Barcelona is also closely linked to the crucial role of Pedri, who has recovered from injury.

Barcelona responded to Real Madrid's 3-0 victory over Celta Vigo by defeating Athletic Bilbao 1-0 at San Mames Stadium, Sunday (8/3/2026) early morning WIB. Twenty-four hours earlier, Real Madrid's win temporarily put pressure on Barcelona as the top of the standings. Los Blancos, the nickname for Real Madrid, narrowed the gap in second place to just one point.

However, after usurping Real Madrid's position at the top of the standings at the end of February, Barcelona remains strong and can maintain a safe distance from its eternal rival. Now, with both teams having played 27 matches, the Blaugrana leads with 67 points, four points ahead of Madrid.

Despite the minimal victory, Barcelona's coach Hansi Flick is pleased that his team did not concede any goals. Keeping the goal untouched by the opponent's ball is an important aspect for Barca.

"A goal without reply gives us confidence and helps our philosophy. Now, it's one less game and three more points," said Hansi Flick, as quoted by Marca.

Barcelona is beginning to regain its confidence in the title race after its key players, Pedri and Raphinha, recovered from injuries. Without them, Barca struggled to find consistency in their gameplay as the pressing scheme with a high defensive line could not be implemented.

Pedri was introduced in the match against Levante at the end of February. Although he was not deployed from the start, Pedri's stable presence in the midfield and his ability to control the game managed to restore Barcelona's rhythm.

In the two subsequent matches, against Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao, Pedri contributed one assist in each game. In the match against Athletic Bilbao, Pedri was also not fielded from the start, as the team's main focus is the upcoming match against Newcastle United in the Champions League next Wednesday.

Without Pedri in the first half, Barca was unable to make a decisive impact. Ferran Torres nearly scored for the visiting team after his shot soared far from the goalpost. On the other hand, Joao Cancelo almost scored an own goal after his clearance attempt hit the crossbar, with Joan Garcia making a crucial intervention to thwart Selton Sanchez's opportunity in a one-on-one situation.

Marc Bernal, who was entrusted to fill the midfielder position replacing Pedri, also could not perform at his best. Flick confirmed that Bernal experienced several issues during the first half, which led to his substitution.

The entry of Pedri provided Barcelona with a boost in the second half. The midfielder successfully evaded challenges in the midfield before passing the ball to Lamine Yamal, who then made a penetrating run before unleashing a shot on goal against Athletic through the far post.

Previously, the hosts played very well to neutralize Lamine Yamal. However, the 18-year-old player demonstrated his class with an outstanding finish.

Yamal's strike against Athletic Bilbao brought his total to 14 goals in La Liga this season. In all competitive matches, Yamal has scored 19 goals from 36 appearances. This number surpasses his goal tally from last season, where he netted 18 goals in a total of 55 matches.

"I have said it before, Pedri makes everyone better. He changes the course of the match. He unites the game very well," said Flick.

Nevertheless, Pedri believes that the team's rhythm of play has not fully returned. There are still several adjustments that need to be made, especially before the match against Newcastle.

Regardless of that, Pedri is proud of the victory achieved because Barca was able to chase important points in a difficult and exhausting match. "This is a complicated game because they applied a lot of pressure. This victory is very important," said Pedri.