Three things we learned from Barcelona 4-0 Athletic Club

"Saturday's match against Athletic Club was always going to be special, whatever the result. Even though there is still plenty of building work to be completed at Camp Nou before Barcelona can boast the biggest stadium in Europe, the plain fact that the Catalans were finally back home after two years was worthy of a celebration. Before a ball was kicked, feelings were heightened, due in no small part to the festival atmosphere that had been created in and around the ground."

"It's often been levelled at the players that they'll sometimes stroll through games, and whether that's right or wrong is subjective. What was in no doubt whatsoever during Saturday's match is the dynamism and desire every player had in hunting down possession of the ball and remaining on the front foot throughout. Perhaps it wasn't pretty at times, but you couldn't fault anyone for a lack of effort."

"Although Athletic weren't able to penetrate the home defence in a lively match, it was noticeable how easy it was for the likes of Nico Williams and Unai Gomez to beat either Jules Kounde or Alejandro Balde, down either flank. The visitors didn't even need to get out of second gear, as both full-backs consistently pushed too far forward and didn't show enough desire to get back into their defensive positions."

Barcelona returned to Camp Nou after two years amid ongoing construction and a festival atmosphere that heightened emotions before kick-off. Players displayed notable dynamism and desire, hunting possession and staying on the front foot throughout the match. The performance lacked aesthetic polish at times but showed consistent effort that could yield more wins if replicated. Athletic attackers found it relatively easy to exploit space down the flanks as Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde pushed too far forward and failed to recover defensively. The full-back positions are under scrutiny, with reported concerns over Balde and Kounde's form and possible transfer options.

Read at Barca Blaugranes