Lewandowski Caps Off Barcelona's Season in De Marcos' Farewell

Barcelona concluded their season at San Mamés on Sunday with another victory. The team led by Hansi Flick defeated Athletic 0-3 in a match marked by Óscar de Marcos' farewell, the little at stake for both teams, and the relentless nature of a player for whom no match is insignificant. Lewandowski scored twice in the first half to bring his league tally to 27 goals, a record for the Pole since joining Barcelona, and paved the way for a win that Dani Olmo sealed in injury time from the penalty spot. The Catalans head into the break satisfied with a job well done.

The match began in a festive atmosphere. San Mamés rose to celebrate their Champions League qualification and bid farewell to a legend like De Marcos, while facing a Barcelona still weary from lifting trophies. This relaxed the start, despite Flick fielding a lineup with many of his key players. Cubarsí, Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Lewandowski were all present, a clear message of the German's intentions.

Flick wanted to end the season on a high note, and thus was displeased with Barcelona's sluggish start, less intense than their opponents. Athletic set up defensively but pressed the receivers, unsettling a Barcelona side that faced two early counter-attacks. One even resulted in a headed goal by Unai Gómez, but VAR ruled it offside. It was the warning the Catalans needed to shift gears. They did so with an omnipresent Pedri and the hunger of a forward always playing for something.

Lewandowski does not understand inconsequential matches and perfectly chipped the first goal from a Fermín pass, silencing San Mamés after a corner kick extension. Two strikes in just five minutes, two goals that made the difference in a first half of alternating dominance where the main difference was the Pole's accuracy and Maroan Sannadi's missed chances.

After the restart, the game opened up. Athletic needed to gain ground, which Barcelona exploited by playing keep-away, frustrating an opponent not averse to trading blows. In this scenario, anything could happen, and Lewandowski had two one-on-ones where he was not successful, while Maroan Sannadi added another to his collection on a night to forget for him.

This was the prelude to a carousel of changes marked by the little at stake. Flick withdrew Araujo, Raphinha, Balde, and Pedri before heading into a match end with little history beyond a penalty converted by Dani Olmo in added time and the celebration of two teams knowing they have accomplished their goals this season.