IN SPORT.ES
He appeared when Barcelona needed it most. Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitic, who was a substitute against Athletic, came off the bench to break the deadlock at Camp Nou. Rakitic's goal earned Barca a 1-0 win that puts them three points clear at the top of La Liga.
After nearly 70 minutes without chances, Rakitic broke into the box and took Messi's control/pass down and drove home past Unai Simon.
It was his first goal of the season and justified his annoyance at not being picked more. He hasn't had many minutes since De Jong's arrival. And that was his first goal since the Clasico in March 2019.