Judging from their defending in the opening two games of the season, Barcelona have decided to make the new season more interesting by giving everyone else a chance.
Just three days after gifting four goals to Sevilla with dubious defending in the UEFA Super Cup, Barca were at it again at the San Mames, committing error after error as Athletic Bilbao established a surely decisive 4-0 advantage in the first leg of the Super Cup.
The reigning league and European champions needed less than 15 minutes to commit their first howler, with Marc-Andre ter Stegen this time the culprit.
The German is renowned for his ballplaying abilities, but got carried away by needlessly coming charging out of his area to head clear. It dropped straight to Mikel San Jose, who controlled on the halfway line before launching a perfectly struck half-volley back over the retreating goalkeeper’s head.
The goal was coming because Barca spent the previous five minutes committing sloppy mistakes to spark Athletic attacks, and ter Stegen was guilty of the worst as his poor chipped clearance presented the game’s first opportunity to Javier Eraso, whose narrow-angled shot was parried into the side-netting.
Even falling behind failed to rouse Barca, who remained second best for the remainder of the opening period as their makeshift midfield trio of Javier Mascherano, Sergio Roberto and Rafinha found themselves overrun.
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Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez were receiving next to no support, while Manchester United target Pedro cut a frustrated figure on the left flank despite being recalled to the starting line-up.
Messi started to drop ever deeper in search of possession – never a good sign for Barca – and determined Athletic were comfortable until the very end of the first half, when Pedro found space to break forward and was fouled, allowing Messi to step up and curl goalwards a free-kick which Gorka Iraizoz did well to push wide.
The half-time whistle blew even before there was time to take the corner, and it said a great deal about the balance of play that it had been Barca’s first effort on goal.
They started the second half much better and twice came agonisingly close to levelling, firstly when Pedro charged through to crash a fierce strike against the crossbar, and then Suarez squared for Messi who saw his low first-time strike brilliantly clawed away by Iraizoz.
But then the hosts doubled their lead, and again Barca contributed to their own downfall as Roberto lost possession in the final third. There was still plenty of work to do, but Athletic did it superbly as debutant winger Sabin Merino crossed and Aritz Aduriz powered home an unstoppable header.
Another defensive error soon allowed Athletic to make it three as Dani Alves attempted to clear a cross but could only play it straight to Eraso, and his cushioned pass allowed Aduriz to volley home from 10 yards.
Incredibly, a softly-awarded penalty – supposedly for a foul by Alves – then saw Aduriz step up and complete his hat-trick by sending ter Stegen the wrong way.
There was no way back in the scrappy closing stages, and Barca are left with the mightiest of mountains to climb in Monday’s rematch.
