Barcelona dropped two points in Bilbao and more important lost two hugely important players just nine days before they play Napoli in the Champions League.
Both Frenkie de Jong and Pedri went off before the break and look like huge doubts for that last-16 second leg.
De Jong suffered what looked like a recurrence of an old injury in his right ankle. He twisted it badly when he landed after jumping for a header. He tried to carry on but could not even put weight on the ankle and a cart had to transport him off the pitch.
Despite that set-back Barcelona almost took the lead when Unai Simon committed to a clearance outside his area and Joao Cancelo shot towards the empty goal. The ball was heading over the line but Simon scrambled back to get fingertips to it. He had taken the sting out of it but it still needed Yeray Alvarez to hook the ball off the line.
Barcelona dropped two points in Bilbao during a tricky LaLiga clash on Sunday evening
Barcelona midfielder Pedri was withdrawn with an injury on the stroke of half time
Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong was driven off on a stretcher after landing awkwardly on his ankle
Two minutes before the break Barcelona lost a second midfielder to what looked like another recurring injury. Pedri at least managed to walk off the pitch but it looked like the return of a thigh injury.
The Spain midfielder was in tears and consoled by his international team-mate the Athletic keeper Unai Simon. It’s his third injury this season and from his reaction it looked a bad one.
Xavi was fuming on the bench at all the misfortune. He had also talked himself into a booking for protesting perceived leniency from referee Jose Hernandez Hernandez. No coach has been cautioned as much as Xavi since he took over as Barça manager.
Ronaldo Araujo was also booked and both the Uruguayan and his coach will be missing in next Friday’s game against Mallorca. Barça went in at half time at 0-0 but with the injuries it felt like they were 2-0 down.
Athletic sensed Barça’s weakness after the injuries and had the upper hand at the restart. The 20-year-old Rocky look alike Unai Gomez was leading the charge but for the visitors 17-year-old Pau Cubarsi was holding their defence together.
When Alejandro Berenguer crossed from the left only a Cancelo lunge to steer the ball out of play prevented Inaki Williams from finishing.
Bilbao goalkeeper Unai Simon had to make several strong stops to deny Barcelona’s forwards
Portuguese attacker Joao Felix missed a good chance to open the scoring for Barcelona
Barcelona manager Xavi was fuming as his side wasted chances in front of goal against Bilbao
At the other end he was less precise slicing a great chance wide after being fed by substitute Joao Felix.
Having had his hand forced by injury Xavi only had one window left and he made all three changes with 15 minutes left bringing on Felix, Oriol Romeu and Iñigo Martinez who ,as a former Athletic player, had his every touch jeered.
Dani Garcia headed wide from close range with Athletic’s last chance in injury time but neither side deserved all three points.
Both teams finished exhausted with Lamine Yamal appearing to tell Xavi on the touchline that he could run no more. The away side had that cup semi-final just three days before still in their weary legs and Barça had been weighed down by the injuries. Neither side could find the winner.
