'Oh my god': 38yo's stunner consigns Barcelona to 10-year first
Barcelona have lost their La Liga season opener for the first time in a decade after an extraordinary late goal gave Athletic Bilbao a 1-0 win.
Veteran Aritz Aduriz consigned Barcelona to the defeat with a spectacular overhead kick that belied his 38 years.
The veteran forward, who will retire at the end of the season, had only been on the pitch for a minute when he met Ander Capa's cross with an acrobatic volley to net the 89th-minute winner at San Mames.
Incredibly, it was his first touch in the match as well.
Unsurprisingly, the goal lit up social media, with viewers left gobsmacked by the incredible nature of the strike.
What a strike by Aritz Aduriz. pic.twitter.com/hTCsxBQcGP
— 7Błasiu (@sportsfan_pl) August 16, 2019
ADURIZ WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! 😱😱
Atletic Bilbao 1-0 Barcelona pic.twitter.com/ybeHjTndqB— MA (@Footiematics) August 16, 2019
Aritz Aduriz has just done this to beat Barcelona in the last minutes of the game in the opening game of the La Liga season at 38 years old. Christ alive. https://t.co/450SUzLEJR
— Elliot Hackney (@ElliotHackney) August 16, 2019
Enters the pitch in the 88th minute 👤
Bicycle kick to win the game... WITH HIS FIRST TOUCH 🤯
Equals Lionel Messi as the player to have scored in the most #LaLiga seasons in a row (15) 🐐
Aritz Aduriz with the perfect start to the season 👌 pic.twitter.com/jthrfj5gse— Goal (@goal) August 16, 2019
Oh my god.. 38 years old #Aduriz #atleticbarca pic.twitter.com/262LVeVzOK
— YNWA @LFC (@the_8th_warrior) August 16, 2019
38 year old Aduriz with his first touch off the bench... wow! 🔥 https://t.co/myipG03Nxl
— Abdul (@Abdulghaleiw) August 16, 2019
Defending champions Barca were without star man Lionel Messi, who is recovering from a calf injury, and were dealt a further blow when Luis Suarez was forced off with an apparent calf issue of his own late in the first half.
Suarez had squandered Barca's best chance of the match, hitting the left-hand post after receiving a misplaced backpass in the penalty area, but it was Bilbao who looked most likely to make the breakthrough for much of the opening period, with Inaki Williams looking especially dangerous.
Bilbao sat deeper in the second half, inviting pressure from a Barca attack that had previously proved impotent.
However, Ernesto Valverde's side, featuring debutants Antoine Griezmann and Frenkie De Jong, were unable to find a way through and Aduriz - an 88th-minute replacement for Williams - settled the encounter in sublime fashion.
Athletic Bilbao coach Gaizka Garitano said: "Aduriz is a competitive animal.
"His goal has made me so happy. Even though he is 38 years old no one hits the ball like he does. His goal has given us victory."
The result ended a decade-long run of the Catalan giants winning their opening game of the season.
Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde said: "We were not at our best in the first half.
"We did not boss the game and despite having clear chances we know we have to be more aggressive."
Barcelona forward Philippe Coutinho was left out of the game and Barcelona director Guillermo Amor admitted: "He has an agreement in principal to go [on loan] to Bayern Munich."
With agencies