FC Barcelona 4-0 Athletic Club: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Dive into Bwin’s post-match review of FC Barcelona 4-0 Athletic Club in the La Liga on Saturday, 22 November 2025, with stats, key moments and our take on the match.

FC Barcelona took an early lead in this La Liga encounter when Robert Lewandowski found the net in the 4th minute without an assist, setting a dominant tone against Athletic Club. Ferran Torres doubled the advantage just before the break in the 45th minute, courtesy of an assist from Lamine Yamal, as Barcelona controlled possession and created numerous chances. The first half ended with Barcelona firmly in command, their attacking prowess evident despite Athletic's attempts to counter.

The second half saw Barcelona extend their lead quickly with Fermin Lopez scoring unassisted in the 48th minute, but the match's turning point came when Athletic Club's Oihan Sancet received a red card in the 54th minute following a card upgrade a minute earlier, leaving his side with ten men. Substitutions followed for both teams, with Barcelona making changes to maintain their rhythm, and they sealed the victory late on with Ferran Torres netting twice more, first assisted by Lamine Yamal in the 90th minute and then a confirmed goal in the 90+1st minute. Athletic Club struggled to recover from the numerical disadvantage, resulting in a comprehensive win for the visitors.

FC Barcelona's commanding 68% possession underlined their control of the game, allowing them to dictate the tempo and limit Athletic Club's opportunities, which was reflected in their higher count of 55 successful dribbles compared to Athletic's 42, enabling more penetrating attacks that led to multiple goals. Athletic Club edged the corner count with 7 to Barcelona's 5, suggesting some set-piece threat, but their disciplinary issues proved costly with 2 yellow cards and 1 red card, contrasted against Barcelona's clean sheet of 0 yellows and 0 reds, which disrupted their defensive structure and contributed to the lopsided result. Barcelona also recorded 2 assists while Athletic had none, highlighting the quality of their build-up play, and both sides utilised all 5 substitutions, though Barcelona's changes, such as Marc Casado replacing Fermin Lopez and Dani Fernandez coming on for Robert Lewandowski at 64', helped maintain momentum without any penalties or noted injury-time goals influencing the outcome.

The lack of penalties taken or scored by either side kept the focus on open-play creativity, where Barcelona excelled, and Athletic's red card to Oihan Sancet at 54' after his upgrade at 53' shifted the dynamics, making their substitutions like Ander Rego replacing Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta at 55' more reactive in an attempt to shore up the midfield.

The match burst into life early with Robert Lewandowski's unassisted strike in the 4th minute giving FC Barcelona a platform to build upon, and they capitalised just before half-time when Ferran Torres scored in the 45th minute from Lamine Yamal's assist to establish a two-goal cushion. Post-interval, Fermin Lopez added a third unassisted in the 48th minute, but the game's pivotal shift occurred when Athletic Club's Oihan Sancet saw his yellow card upgraded to a red in the 53rd and 54th minutes respectively, reducing his team to ten players and opening the floodgates. Barcelona made strategic substitutions, such as Ronald Araujo replacing Alejandro Balde at 46' to bolster the defence, and later changes like Marc Casado coming on for Fermin Lopez at 64', which helped them manage the game effectively.

Late drama ensued as Ferran Torres struck again in the 90th minute with another assist from Lamine Yamal, followed by his confirmed goal in the 90+1st minute, underscoring Barcelona's ruthlessness. Athletic Club's responses, including Ander Rego replacing the yellow-carded Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta at 55' and further adjustments like Gorka Guruzeta coming on for Unai Gomez at 56', could not stem the tide, with Andoni Gorosabel's yellow card at 73' compounding their woes.

FC Barcelona lined up in their familiar 4-3-3 formation, with a strong emphasis on fluid attacking partnerships, particularly between Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres who linked up effectively for key goals, while the midfield provided solid support to dominate possession and transition play.

Athletic Club deployed a 4-2-3-1 shape, relying on a robust double pivot in midfield to shield the defence, but the red card to Oihan Sancet disrupted their attacking outlets, with wingers like Nico Williams aiming to exploit spaces before his substitution for Raul Navarro at 56'.

Ferran Torres was the standout performer and deservedly Man of the Match, netting a hat-trick with goals in the 45th, 90th, and 90+1st minutes, including two assisted by Lamine Yamal, his clinical finishing and positioning proving decisive in dismantling Athletic Club's defence and securing a convincing victory for FC Barcelona.

Recent La Liga matches:

• Win: 4-0 vs Athletic Club (H)
• Win: 4-2 vs Celta de Vigo (A)
• Win: 3-1 vs Elche (H)
• Loss: 1-2 vs Real Madrid (A)
• Win: 2-1 vs Girona (H)

Recent La Liga matches:

• Loss: 0-4 vs FC Barcelona (A)
• Win: 1-0 vs Real Oviedo (H)
• Loss: 2-3 vs Real Sociedad (A)
• Loss: 0-1 vs Getafe (H)
• Draw: 0-0 vs Elche (A)

Sitting atop La Liga with 31 points after a run of convincing victories including this 4-0 thrashing of Athletic Club, a 4-2 win at Celta de Vigo, and a 3-1 home success against Elche, FC Barcelona look in formidable form as they prepare for their next challenge against Chelsea on 25 November at 20:00. With their position as league leaders secure, this fixture offers a chance to maintain momentum across competitions, and bettors across the UK and Europe will be eyeing Barcelona’s attacking depth for potential value in goalscorer markets.

Athletic Club find themselves in eighth place with 17 points following this heavy 4-0 defeat at Barcelona, which came after a narrow 1-0 home win over Real Oviedo but extended a patchy streak including a 3-2 loss at Real Sociedad. They now turn attention to Slavia Praha on 25 November at 20:00, where recovering from the red card setback and bolstering their away form could be key, presenting opportunities for punters to back a resilient response in what promises to be a competitive European tie.

Bwin brings you the most exciting betting promotions and the latest betting offers to enhance your experience.

For the best La Liga outright predictions, explore our Outright Betting guide.

Odds and market details are accurate as of the time of publication.