Barcelona drew 2-2 with Arsenal in midweek in the UEFA Champions League, while Athletic Bilbao were 4-3 winners over Racing Santander on Monday.
Barcelona – Managing the squad
Earlier this season, the Blaugrana drew 1-1 with Bilbao away from home, and Lionel Messi was the victim of a serious injury.
But this time, seeing that Andres Iniesta might again be out of action, another injury would be unacceptable for Barcelona who face Arsenal in the Champions League again next Tuesday, and Real Madrid in La Liga next Saturday.
Perhaps, precautions from the home side against the Andalusians might slow down the pace of the game, but the result will be the most important thing in the end.
A second consecutive draw for Barcelona would not be advisable, since they are still behind Los Blancos in La Liga standings on goal difference.
Carles Puyol
Defender and skipper Carles Puyol obtained a straight red card in Wednesday’s Champions League encounter against Londoners Arsenal, but despite the fact that he might not play at home next Tuesday in the return leg encounter, he should be available for the Azulgrana this weekend.
Puyol proved to be out of form a few weeks ago, making an own goal and several defensive mistakes, but lately, his influence has appeared to be stronger than ever; hence, his presence could be vital against the challenging Athletic Bilbao.
Gerard Pique
As for Gerard Pique, he was shown a yellow card against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, and he will therefore miss the second-leg game at the Camp Nou next week, but along with Carles Puyol, he should feature in the defense for Barca, as Pep Guardiola looks to keep things in good shape before El Clasico.
Pique has been assuming his responsibilities satisfyingly in his last games, and his force at the back could help Barcelona to at least make a clean sheet.
Andres Iniesta
There have been many speculations concerning Andres Iniesta’s injury.
While many believe that it will keep him out of Pep Guardiola’s line-ups for several days, some assume that he will be back in time to face Arsenal at the Camp Nou.
Perchance, he will miss his team’s La Liga game against Bilbao on Saturday, as he hopes to recover fully as soon as possible.
Athletic Bilbao – Their nice form
Bilbao have been clinching good results recently, with only a single loss out of their last five games.
The Andalusians defeated Valladolid 2-0 at home on March 7, before drawing goalless with Sporting Gijon six days later.
They were held 2-2 the following week at home in front of 20,000 fans against Getafe, but afterward, they lost 2-0 away to Atletico Madrid.
On Monday, Bilbao fought hard against Racing Santander, and they did not go unrewarded, as they defeated their visitors 4-3 at the end of proceedings.
Now, they face the task of troubling Barcelona at the intimidating Camp Nou, and even if they do not manage to cause their hosts an upset, they could at least settle for a draw, just as they did at the beginning of this season.
La Liga Standings (Top 5) – April 2, 2010
Athletic Bilbao lie in 6th position in La Liga standings, and a win at the Estadio Camp Nou could even send them into the top four of the table.
Below are the standings of the Spanish League for the top 5 teams, as of April 2, 2010.
- Real Madrid – 74 points
- Barcelona – 74 points
- Valencia – 53 points
- Mallorca – 47 points
- Sevilla – 45 points
