Primera Liga Report: Eto'o Stars As Ronaldinho Shines
Samuel Eto'o marked his return to the Barça team with a poweful display while Ronaldinho turned on the style to leave Athletic Bilbao with some weighty problems.
The Cameroonian striker netted his first goal for the Blaugrana since September after an Fernando Amorebieta own goal and a strike from Xavi Hernández had put Barça ahead.
While Eto'o's impressive comeback will earn all the headlines, a second-half display by Ronaldinho will also be remembered as the Brazilian produced a bag of tricks to silence all the critics.
In the opening 15 minutes of the encounter, Frank Rijkaard's team showed that they had put the Champions League defeat against Liverpool behind them to produce a slick display of attacking football.
For all their efforts, however, only Ronaldinho registered a shot on target for the hosts before Athletic showed that they had not come to make up the numbers with a period of pressure that produced a drive from Fran Yeste.
FC Barcelona were always favourites to open the scoring, but when the first goal in the 24th minute came it was in bizarre circumstancs Ludovic Giuly's low cross bounced off both of Amorebieta's ankles and inside the near post of Aranzubia's goal.
The second of the evening was vintage Barça as Ronaldinho lifted the ball into the area where Eto'o flicked it on and Xavi arrived to rifle home from 18 yards on the half-hour mark.
Ismael Urzaiz had Athletic's best chance of the opening period when a cross from the right deceived Lilian Thuram, but the powerful striker headed just wide of the post.
Four minutes before the break and the result was put, virtually, beyond doubt when Ronaldinho's pass saw Eto'o beat the offside trap and calmly tuck the ball inside Aranzubia.
After the break, Barça took full control and laid siege to the Athletic goal and denied their visitors any hope of producing a surprise comeback.
There may have been no addition to the scoreline, but the passing and movement was reminiscent of the form that saw the team sweep to the title and Champions League last season.
Ronaldinho was the star of the second 45 minutes as he tormented Mané's team down the left flank with one incredible moment of magic nine minutes after the restart.
After receiving the ball from Eto'o, the Barcelona number ten clipped the ball clear of his marker before edging towars the area where he danced past three players before shooting for goal, with only the fingertips of Aranzubia flicking pushing the ball into the crossbar.
Andrés Iniesta, who was outstanding throughout, was unlucky not to cap his fine display with a goal as he had the hosts' first effort after the break only for his first effort to bounce back off the post and his second fly over the bar as he received the rebound.
Lionel Messi, who is also returning to full fitness, replaced Eto'o in minute 66 and his introduction meant that there was no let-up for the bealeguered away team.
The Argentinian twice supplied Ronaldinho down the left and on both occasions the Athletic keeper denied Barça a fourth goal with his feet, while the Brazilian saw a free-kick clip the bar from a free-kick in between.
Gio Van Bronckhorst also flashed a shot wide of the target from the right as the home side ended the game with their shot count, on target, in double figures while Athletic managed just one.
FC Barcelona are now two points clear at the top of the table, but the Basque Country side are back in the bottom three and face a tough run-in if they are to avoid being relegated for the first time in their history.
great week for barca as we won and all other teams draw
Samuel Eto'o marked his return to the Barça team with a poweful display while Ronaldinho turned on the style to leave Athletic Bilbao with some weighty problems.
The Cameroonian striker netted his first goal for the Blaugrana since September after an Fernando Amorebieta own goal and a strike from Xavi Hernández had put Barça ahead.
While Eto'o's impressive comeback will earn all the headlines, a second-half display by Ronaldinho will also be remembered as the Brazilian produced a bag of tricks to silence all the critics.
In the opening 15 minutes of the encounter, Frank Rijkaard's team showed that they had put the Champions League defeat against Liverpool behind them to produce a slick display of attacking football.
For all their efforts, however, only Ronaldinho registered a shot on target for the hosts before Athletic showed that they had not come to make up the numbers with a period of pressure that produced a drive from Fran Yeste.
FC Barcelona were always favourites to open the scoring, but when the first goal in the 24th minute came it was in bizarre circumstancs Ludovic Giuly's low cross bounced off both of Amorebieta's ankles and inside the near post of Aranzubia's goal.
The second of the evening was vintage Barça as Ronaldinho lifted the ball into the area where Eto'o flicked it on and Xavi arrived to rifle home from 18 yards on the half-hour mark.
Ismael Urzaiz had Athletic's best chance of the opening period when a cross from the right deceived Lilian Thuram, but the powerful striker headed just wide of the post.
Four minutes before the break and the result was put, virtually, beyond doubt when Ronaldinho's pass saw Eto'o beat the offside trap and calmly tuck the ball inside Aranzubia.
After the break, Barça took full control and laid siege to the Athletic goal and denied their visitors any hope of producing a surprise comeback.
There may have been no addition to the scoreline, but the passing and movement was reminiscent of the form that saw the team sweep to the title and Champions League last season.
Ronaldinho was the star of the second 45 minutes as he tormented Mané's team down the left flank with one incredible moment of magic nine minutes after the restart.
After receiving the ball from Eto'o, the Barcelona number ten clipped the ball clear of his marker before edging towars the area where he danced past three players before shooting for goal, with only the fingertips of Aranzubia flicking pushing the ball into the crossbar.
Andrés Iniesta, who was outstanding throughout, was unlucky not to cap his fine display with a goal as he had the hosts' first effort after the break only for his first effort to bounce back off the post and his second fly over the bar as he received the rebound.
Lionel Messi, who is also returning to full fitness, replaced Eto'o in minute 66 and his introduction meant that there was no let-up for the bealeguered away team.
The Argentinian twice supplied Ronaldinho down the left and on both occasions the Athletic keeper denied Barça a fourth goal with his feet, while the Brazilian saw a free-kick clip the bar from a free-kick in between.
Gio Van Bronckhorst also flashed a shot wide of the target from the right as the home side ended the game with their shot count, on target, in double figures while Athletic managed just one.
FC Barcelona are now two points clear at the top of the table, but the Basque Country side are back in the bottom three and face a tough run-in if they are to avoid being relegated for the first time in their history.
great week for barca as we won and all other teams draw
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