Midfielder comes off the bench to clinch unconvincing victoryAtlético win at Levante, Napoli make Verona payIvan Rakitic came off the bench to score Barcelona’s second-half winner against Athletic Bilbao on Thursday and put them clear at the top of La Liga, averting a second consecutive draw that would have further dented the champions’ title defence.
Barça had slipped off the top of the table after Friday’s 0-0 draw at Sevilla and put in another sluggish display at an empty Camp Nou with their fabled front three of
Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Antoine Griezmann failing to sparkle. They finally found a way through in the 71st minute when Messi slipped the ball into the path of Rakitic. The midfielder had been on the pitch for only six minutes but kept his nerve to beat Athletic’s in-form goalkeeper Unai Simon.