Opinion: Athletic Bilbao 1-0 Barcelona - 5 players who were responsible for the Catalans' defeat

#1 Antoine Griezmann

Griezmann had a poor debut

As far as competitive debuts go, this was largely a forgettable one for Antoine Griezmann, as the 28-year-old was a relative spectator for the entire 90 minutes.

The French international had a subdued preseason campaign, only scoring in the final match against Napoli despite appearing in all five fixtures, but if that goal last week was expected to boost his confidence, the signs were not there, as Griezmann failed to make a mark on the game.

There was no single shot on target from him across the 90 minutes, while his only meaningful contribution in the game was a miscontrolled ball which fell fortuitously to Ivan Rakiitic for the midfielder to blast over.

Given the amount expended to get him and the injuries of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, Barcelona's goalscoring mantle is firmly upon Griezmann's shoulders, but he would need to step up significantly from what he displayed against Athletic Bilbao if he is to lead the line effectively.