Preview: Barcelona will want to bounce back after their mid-week defeat
It is not often that Barcelona lose, and when they do, fans will sit and pick apart that defeat, in order to figure out what caused it. The Blaugrana's mid-week match against Ajax did not go well, as the Spanish side came up short, but the defeat was well deserved.
That defeat can come as somewhat of a wake-up call for Tata Martino's men.
While they may not be as dominant as they once were, and playing without Messi, no match or opponent should be taken for granted.
On Sunday, Barcelona will get a chance to bounce back from that defeat, against an Athletic Bilbao side that is fifth, and has yet to lose at home. But despite their position in the league table, they have struggled to find consistency within the squad.
Going up against the league leaders, who have yet to lose a match could bring out the best of both teams. And with Barcelona coming off a defeat, this could be a very entertaining match to watch.
The hosts will be without Kike Sola and Aritz Aduriz, who saw a red card in their last match.
As for Barcelona, their list of injuries seems to never get smaller. They will be without Valdes, Messi, Dani Alves and Jordi Alba.
Having played to a two goal draw in their last meeting, the absence of Messi could play a part in this match. But with Martino's side having lost mid-week, one would expect to see a much better performance than the one they put on in Amsterdam.
Where to watch this match - live stream, start time, TV channels, live scores
Watch Athletic Club vs Barcelona live on Sunday, December 1, 2013:
In Canada at 15:00 ET on: beIN Sport Play Canada
In the UK at 20:00 BST on: NOW TV Powered by Sky, Sky Sports 1/HD, Sky Sports 1 Ireland, Sky Go UK
In the USA at 15:00 ET on: beIN Sport Play, beIN Sport USA, SiriusXM FC, beIN Sport en Español
For full TV listings, please visit the Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona match page.