Athletic Club 0-1 Barcelona: Luis Suarez earns revenge for Super Cup

Barcelona left the San Mames a lot happier than the last time they were here. That was little over a week ago, when they boarded the team bus with their tails between their legs, on the end of a 4-0 hammering in the Spanish Super Cup.

Athletic won it and paraded the trophy before this game, but Barcelona exacted revenge thanks to a Luis Suarez strike in the second half, which settled a scrappy, hard-fought clash.

Dani Alves was injured after just 16 minutes, after being tackled while dallying on the ball, and Sergi Roberto came on to replace him. It highlighted how short Barcelona's squad is at the moment - if the starting line up and substitutes bench hadn't already done the job.

Thomas Vermaelen was given a start to add some height to the defence, against the aerial threat of Aritz Aduriz, which left Marc Bartra on the bench. Alongside him was Marc-Andre ter Stegen, with Claudio Bravo picked to start the league season between the sticks.

Apart from the German, the rest of the bench have all come through the Barcelona youth system or Barça B, with several of the usual first-teamers out through injury (Neymar, Adriano, Douglas) or suspension (Gerard Pique, Jeremy Mathieu). Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal can't play until January either, thanks to the FIFA sanction on Barcelona.

The Catalans were unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty when Elustondo handled the ball in the box, but the hosts claimed the ball had gone out of play when Sergi Roberto crossed it in.

They were given one moments afterwards, this time quite luckily, when Elustondo tackled Suarez in the box but the referee pointed to the spot. Lionel Messi took it but missed, Gorka Iraizoz diving low to his right to tip the ball away.

Barcelona doubled their efforts to break the deadlock and Gorka made another fine save from a Suarez effort, with Rafinha sending the rebound back across the face of goal.

Messi was not at his best but still produced an exquisite pass to play in Suarez just before the interval. The Uruguayan forward's strike was blocked by Aymeric Laporte, alert to the danger.

There was nothing Athletic could do early in the second half to stop Suarez though, when a fine Jordi Alba cross left the striker the simple task of blasting the ball home from close range.

Sergi Roberto, having a storming game from right-back, then cracked a shot off the crossbar as Barcelona tried to extend their lead.

More injury misfortune befell the Catalans in the second half when Sergio Busquets went down and had to be removed from the field on a stretcher.

The teams scrapped out the rest of the match, save for one moment towards the end where Messi danced his way past three Athletic players, before firing a shot straight at Gorka.

It was a magic moment in a game which lacked them, and hopefully a sign that Messi is warming up for the season ahead.