Barca caught cold in Copa
Catalans slump on return from two-week break
Athletic Bilbao held out with nine men to secure a first win over Barcelona in four years on Thursday and carry a 2-1 lead into the second leg of their Copa del Rey last-16 tie.
Two goals in three firsthalf minutes from Aritz Aduriz and Inaki Williams put the host in command.
Lionel Messi’s fine freekick halved Barca’s deficit after the break.
And the five-time world player of the year was inches away from an equalizing second when he hit the post with the final kick of the match after Raul Garcia and Ander Iturraspe had been sent off.
“We struggled at the start,” said Barca boss Luis Enrique.
“They used two counter-attacks to put together two good moves and get ahead.
“In the second half we concentrated more on what we could control, our play, and I think we did enough to deserve more, even taking into account Athletic’s numerical disadvantage.”
Enrique started all three of his star strike force of Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, despite giving them an extended winter break which meant they only returned to training on Monday after two weeks off.
This is the sixth time Barca and Athletic have been paired in the King’s Cup in nine seasons, including three finals.
The Catalans have emerged victorious on all five previous occasions, but Athletic looked well on its way to reversing that run with two excellent goals midway through the first period.
First, an unmarked Aduriz stooped to head home Garcia’s cross and round off a fine move on 25 minutes.
Yeray’s good news
Then, in the midst of a homage to Athletic defender Yeray Alvarez, who was recently diagnosed with testicular cancer, the host struck again when Williams volleyed in from Aduriz’s neat backheeled layoff.
Alvarez was in the crowd and the Basque club announced earlier on Thursday that the 21-year-old centerback will return to training in the next few weeks after undergoing successful surgery.
“I think in the first half we were much better than them,” Williams told GolTV.
“The referee left us with nine men, but that is football and we have to suffer. We will go to Camp Nou (on Jan 11) and do our best to reach the next round.”
The match was dogged by refereeing controversy as Aduriz escaped unpunished for elbowing Samuel Umtiti.
Barca was even more incensed in first-half stoppage time when ref David Fernandez Borbalan failed to point to the penalty spot when Neymar was chopped down by Borja Etxeita.
Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba were all booked for taking their protests too far, while Messi also had to be restrained from confronting Borbalan as the players departed for the halftime interval.
“The first half ended in the worst way with a lot of cards on our part and the players upset at what we saw on the field,” added Enrique.
Borbalan did come to Barca’s aid just after the break, though, when he ruled Messi’s freekick had crossed the line despite Athletic goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz’s best efforts.
Iraizoz tipped over a dangerously dipping Neymar effort as the pressure from the visitor built and the home side was reduced to nine men in its efforts to halt the Brazilian.
Garcia and then Iturraspe had few complaints after seeing second yellow cards for late tackles on Neymar.
More Messi magic almost prevented Barca starting the year with defeat as he danced past two defenders before Mikel San Jose’s desperate saving tackle prevented the Argentine getting a shot away.
And in the dying seconds, Messi smashed a loose ball inside the area off the inside of the post.
No club other than Real Madrid has eliminated Barca from the competition since 2008, and the holder, which trails leader Madrid by three points in La Liga, will be confident of turning the tie around on home soil next Wednesday.