On opening night of the 2019/20 La Liga season, Athletic Bilbao managed a 1-0 win over Barcelona, as Aritz Aduriz struck a dramatic overhead kick winner.
A first half injury to Luis Suarez forced the Barca boss into a reshuffle, with Griezmann moved to a more central role.
The Catalans took more of a grip of the second half after a less-than-convincing opening 45 minutes but still failed to find the breakthrough.
It looks like Barcelona still haven’t found a way to play without Lionel Messi
The rationale of signing of Griezmann from Atletico Madrid was that the Frenchman would give Barcelona a way to play without Messi. However, Griezmann looked out of sync and unsure of his role throughout. There is still work to be done to integrate him.
Inaki Williams was the man who stood out for most of the match, causing Barcelona problems until he was withdrawn for the match-winner Aduriz. That new nine-year contract is already looking like a shrewd move for Athletic Club.
