Barcelona Beat Athletic Bilbao in Liga Match
Listen to the story
Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao in a recent match in the Spanish Liga. The game was notable because it marked the first appearance for a player called Rodri. Barcelona's coach, Hansi Flick, spoke about the match afterwards.
Flick praised the performance of Raphinha, one of Barcelona's attacking players. He said Raphinha's display was flawless, meaning it had no errors at all. This kind of comment shows how much confidence the coach has in him.
The coach also discussed another important player, Lamine Yamal. Yamal played the entire match, which lasts 90 minutes in football. Flick gave reasons for keeping the young player on the field for the full duration of the game.
This match was part of Spain's top football competition, La Liga, where the best teams in the country compete each season. Fans could follow the game on television, and information was also available about the exact time and broadcast channel before kickoff.
Barcelona has been performing strongly this season, and this win against Athletic Bilbao adds to their recent results. The team's coach, Flick, continues to make decisions about which players to select and how long they should play, based on their form and fitness.
Vocabulary10 words
- Barcelona
- a famous, big football club from Spain
- Liga
- the main football competition in Spain
- appearance
- when a player plays in a match for the first time
- flawless
- perfect; with no mistakes
- duration
- the length of time something lasts
- television
- a device for watching programs
- broadcast
- to show something on TV or radio
- coach
- the leader who trains and manages a sports team
- defeated
- beat another team in a game
- confidence
- a strong belief that someone can do well
Quiz
Answer key
1. It was his first appearance 2. Flawless 3. The full 90 minutes
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Barcelona _____ Athletic Bilbao in a recent match in the Spanish Liga.
The game was notable because it marked the first _____ for a player called Rodri.
Barcelona's _____, Hansi Flick, spoke about the match afterwards.
Flick praised the performance of _____, one of Barcelona's attacking players.
He said Raphinha's display was _____, meaning it had no errors at all.
Yamal played the entire match, which lasts 90 minutes in _____.
Flick gave reasons for keeping the young player on the field for the full _____ of the game.
Fans could follow the game on _____.
Information was also available about the exact time and _____ channel before kickoff.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think a player's first appearance for a team is often big news?
- What qualities do you think make a football performance 'flawless'?
- Why might a coach decide to keep a young player on the field for the entire match?
- Do you prefer watching football live on TV or attending matches in person? Why?