Barcelona is set to play against Athletic Club at San Mames in La Liga on Saturday.
Barcelona arrives in Bilbao as a title contender under Hansi Flick, having recently won their last match. They lead Real Madrid by one point in the La Liga table and have a chance to extend their lead to four points.
Athletic Club vs Barcelona – Match preview and team news
- Date: Saturday, 7th March.
- Kick-off: 8pm BST.
- Venue: Estadio de San Mames, Bilbao.
Athletic Club team news
Athletic Club will be without several players. Benat Prados (ACL), Maroan Sannadi (knee), and Nico Williams (groin) are all unavailable for the match against Barcelona.
Defender Unai Egiluz is recovering from a cruciate ligament injury, while Yeray Álvarez is suspended due to a doping case. This leaves Valverde with limited options in defense.
Aitor Paredes is also out with a muscle injury until mid-March. Dorkar Guruzera is expected to lead the attack, supported by Oihan Sancet, Inaki Williams, and Unai Gomez.
Barcelona team news
Barcelona has several injuries to contend with, including Gavi (knee), Andreas Christensen (knee), Alejandro Balde (thigh), Frenkie de Jong (hamstring), and Jules Kounde (thigh).
Robert Lewandowski, who recently fractured his left eye socket, is back in training and may feature against Athletic Club.
Due to the absence of Kounde and Balde, Eric Garcia and Gerard Martin are anticipated to fill the wingback positions, with Ronald Araujo likely playing as a center-back, although Joao Cancelo is another option for Hansi Flick.
Form
Athletic Club
Athletic Club is currently ninth in the La Liga standings with 35 points from 26 matches.
They enter this match after a semifinal loss in the Copa Del Rey against Real Sociedad. However, they are unbeaten in their last five league matches, with their most recent being a draw against Rayo Vallecano (1-1) away.
Barcelona
Barcelona has bounced back strongly after a brief bad patch. They lost 0–4 to Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey on February 12 and 1–2 to Girona in La Liga on February 16.
Since those defeats, they have secured wins against Levante (3–0) and Villarreal (4–1), as well as a 3–0 victory over Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey on March 3.
Barcelona is at the top of the La Liga table with 64 points from 26 matches, just one point ahead of Real Madrid. Their record includes 21 wins, 1 draw, and 4 losses, with 71 goals scored and 26 conceded, resulting in a goal difference of +45.
Predicted lineups
Athletic Club: Simon; Vivian, Paredes, Laporte, Boiro; Rego, Ruiz de Galarreta; I Williams, Sancet, Berenguer; Guruzeta.
Barcelona: J Garcia; Garcia, Cubarsi, Araujo, Martin; Bernal, Pedri; Yamal, Fermin, Raphinha; F Torres.
How to watch Athletic Club vs Barcelona
Viewers in the UK can watch the match live on Disney+ and Premier Sports.
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