Barcelona returned to their rebuilt Camp Nou on Saturday. It marked the occasion with a dominant 4–0 victory over Athletic Bilbao, ending more than two years of playing away from their historic home.
Gatekeepers News reports that the club had expected to reopen the stadium in 2023, but construction delays pushed the return until now.
Robert Lewandowski scored the first goal of the night only four minutes in, becoming the first player to score in the renovated arena.
Ferran Torres added two goals of his own, and Fermin Lopez finished one chance early in the second half to complete a comfortable win. Athletic’s day got worse when Oihan Sancet was sent off following a VAR check.
Only three sections of the new Camp Nou are currently open, but more than 45,000 fans attended the match, despite the high ticket prices.
Fireworks were set off before kickoff and again after the final whistle as supporters celebrated the first game back at the stadium. Barcelona aims to open more seats by 2026 and hopes to reach the full 105,000 capacity next season once renovations are complete.
Eric Garcia, filling in for suspended Frenkie de Jong, won the ball high up the pitch to set up Lewandowski’s early strike. The Polish striker’s low shot slipped past Unai Simon, who managed to get a hand to the ball but could not keep it out. The crowd also honoured Lionel Messi in the 10th minute, chanting his name as they do every season.
Athletic created a few half-chances through Unai Gomez and Nico Williams, but Barcelona kept control for most of the game. Their second goal came right before half-time when Lamine Yamal slipped a clever pass to Torres, who finished calmly under pressure. Early in the second half, Lopez added the third after Garcia stole possession again and set him up inside the box.
Athletic’s frustrations led to a red card for Sancet, who brought down Lopez with a reckless challenge. Joan Garcia, returning after nine straight games out with injury, made several saves and helped Barcelona secure its first clean sheet since September.
Raphinha came on in the second half after recovering from injury and almost scored with a curling shot moments after entering the pitch. Torres later completed the scoring after another brilliant through-ball from Yamal.
With the win, Barcelona moved level on points with Real Madrid at the top of La Liga. Madrid play Elche on Sunday, which could shift the standings again. Barca coach Hansi Flick praised the atmosphere, saying the team had waited a long time for this night and that returning to Camp Nou “felt like starting a new chapter.”
