Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona 0-1: La Liga – as it happened

The live coverage of Athletic Bilbao 0-1 Barcelona has now ended.

Barca sit four points clear at the top of La Liga, thanks to Lamine Yamal’s second-half wonder strike, which silenced a raucous crowd in Bilbao.

Thanks for following along tonight. We hope you enjoyed our coverage from San Mames.

Barcelona extended their lead over fierce rivals Real Madrid out to four points at the top of La Liga with their gritty 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao.

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Tonight’s defeat to Barcelona brought about an end to Athletic Bilbao’s five-game unbeaten streak in La Liga.

The loss leaves them in ninth, level on points with rivals Real Sociedad – in eighth after they lost 3-2 to Atletico Madrid earlier today –  but crucially, five points outside of the European places, with the sixth spot currently occupied by Celta Vigo.

Up next is a tricky away trip to Girona next weekend.

While it was hard-fought, tonight’s 1-0 win at San Mames sets Barcelona up nicely ahead of what is going to be a huge test on Tuesday night.

Travelling from one cathedral-like stadium to another, Barcelona take on Newcastle United in what will certainly be an intimidating St James’ Park for the first leg of their round of 16 clash in the UEFA Champions League.

It means it will have been a Copa Del Rey semifinal, a big La Liga clash, and then a Champions League game all in the space of eight days for Barca.

Athletic Bilbao had 10 shots tonight, but only three were on target, and even though they ended the game with a higher xG of 0.86 compared with Barcelona’s 0.45, their winless run against the league leaders continues.

Tonight’s defeat means it has now been 13 games without a win against Barcelona – that’s Athletic’s longest winless run against Barca since they went 14 games without victory from 2006 to 2013.

It wasn’t a comfortable night for Barcelona by any means, but while Athletic Bilbao threatened on numerous occasions, they never really had goalkeeper Joan Garcia worried.

While Lamine Yamal scored the all-important winner, it was arguably the introduction of Pedri at half-time that was the turning point in the match.

The Spanish player immediately passed his side up the pitch, and it was his magnificent pass that helped Barca score.

Lamine Yamal’s 14th La Liga goal of the season secured the three points for Barcelona, and it’s little surprise he was also crowned the Most Valuable Player of the match.

Full Time: Athletic Bilbao 0-1 Barcelona

The referee blows his whistle at San Mames, and Barcelona go four points clear at the top of La Liga.

It wasn’t vintage Barcelona by any means, but Lamine Yamal’s incredible strike proved to be the difference between the two sides.

Full Time: Athletic Bilbao 0-1 Barcelona

Vivian goes into the book for catching Pedri, while the Barca man lies prone on the floor.

Athletic Bilbao were in possession of the ball, and it looks to be a harsh decision by the referee.

Barca are inching closer to going four points clear at the top.

90+3 mins: Athletic Bilbao 0-1 Barcelona

The fourth official has indicated there will be a minimum of five minutes of additional time at San Mames.

A long, raking pass finds Navarro at the far post, and the substitute tries an audacious volley that flies past the far post.

90+1 mins: Athletic Bilbao 0-1 Barcelona

Some brilliant defensive work from Vesga, since the Bilbao man wins back the ball and beats two Barcelona players before laying it off for Sancet. However, the attacking midfielder sticks his long-range shot into the stands.

89 mins: Athletic Bilbao 0-1 Barcelona

Sancet goes charging through towards goal, but the offside flag is raised, and it’s another chance for Barcelona to eat away at the clock.

Less than two minutes now until we find out how much stoppage time there will be.

87 mins: Athletic Bilbao 0-1 Barcelona

A slip down the Barca left allows Athletic Bilbao winger Berenguer to charge down the flank, but his low cross is too close to Joan Garcia, and the goalkeeper gobbles it up.

84 mins: Athletic Bilbao 0-1 Barcelona

Barcelona make their fifth substitution of the evening, and it’s Ronald Araujo who comes on in place of Casado.

While it seems a simple change, it actually means that Eric Garcia moves from defence to midfield, Cancelo goes from left back to right back, and Martin shifts from centre back out to left back – all to make room for Araujo to go in at centre back.

Simple.

78 mins: Athletic Bilbao 0-1 Barcelona

Barcelona struggled to create any real clear-cut chances in the first half, but they brought on Pedri at the break, and they’ve been much, much better.

Coincidence? I think not.

77 mins: Athletic Bilbao 0-1 Barcelona

2- Barcelona had just two shots in the first 45 minutes against Athletic, their lowest tally in a first half in any competition this season, as well as being the only first half in which they failed to have a shot on target in 2025/26. Fatigue. pic.twitter.com/N0QfsnEbNk

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) March 7, 2026

After Mikel Vesga came on earlier to replace Rego, who was on a booking, Ernesto Valverde now makes another change.

Eder Garcia replaces Mikel Jauregizar.

75 mins: Athletic Bilbao 0-1 Barcelona

The crowd figure goes up, and there are 50,629 fans in attendance here at San Mames tonight. Their side has played well, but they find themselves a goal down.

Can they find the leveller?

71 mins: Athletic Bilbao 0-1 Barcelona

Now a goal down, Bilbao boss Ernesto Valverde makes a change.

Captain Inaki Williams goes off, with striker Gorka Guruzeta coming on.

70 mins: Athletic Bilbao 0-1 Barcelona

Lamine Yamal takes a bow. What a goal to open the scoring!

The Barca superstar is picked out on the right edge of the Bilbao box courtesy of a stunning pass from Pedri, and Yamal does the rest.

He cuts onto his left foot and whips a stunning strike into the far corner, which clips the post and ends up in the back of the net.

68 mins: Athletic Bilbao 0-1 Barcelona

Hansi Flick has seen enough and makes a triple change at San Mames.

On come Raphinha, Fermin and Robert Lewandowski, who is sporting a protective face mask after suffering a fractured eye socket.

They replace Ferran Torres, Marcus Rashford and Dani Olmo.

62 mins: Athletic Bilbao 0-0 Barcelona