Current form: Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona
Following their Clasico clash against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey, Barcelona now have to turn their attention towards a potentially tricky away fixture against Athletic Bilbao. Ernesto Valverde's side will be bitterly disappointed with their 1-1 draw against Los Blancos at Camp Nou, but of major concern is the condition of star man Lionel Messi. The Argentinian superstar did come on during the Copa del Rey clash, but looked far from his very best as he is still recovering from an injury and Valverde may be unwilling to risk him for this game especially with their Champions League campaign kicking off soon and two more Clasicos coming up in just a few weeks time.
Samuel Umtiti and Arthur remain on the treatment table for the visitors, who will also be missing Jordi Alba as a result of a ban. However, Sergio Busquets returns to the fold after completing his own suspension and thus will be reinstated back in his normal position at the heart of Barcelona's midfield.
Meanwhile, Athletic Bilbao come into this game having lost 2-1 to Real Sociedad last weekend, which ended their eight-game unbeaten streak in La Liga. Gaizka Garitano's arrival had sparked a remarkable improvement in the Basque side's performances, and the loss marks his first in La Liga since taking over a couple of months ago. Naturally, hosting league leaders Barcelona, who have lost just two league fixtures this season, is a daunting task, but the Blaugrana could be likely missing Messi for this fixtures. Additionally, they struggled against Valencia in a 2-2 draw and despite beating Girona 2-0 in their last away match, it was far from an assured performance. Will Bilbao, who are unbeaten in their last six at home, prove to be a banana peel for the league leaders?
Current position: Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona
Here's how the two sides compare ahead of their clash.
| Pos. | Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | P | Form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Madrid | 32 | 25 | 6 | 1 | 70 | 22 | +48 | 81 | WWWWW | |
| 2 | Barcelona | 32 | 21 | 7 | 4 | 64 | 37 | +27 | 70 | LWWWW | |
| 3 | Girona | 32 | 21 | 5 | 6 | 67 | 40 | +27 | 68 | WLWLW | |
| 4 | Atlético Madrid | 32 | 19 | 4 | 9 | 59 | 38 | +21 | 61 | LWWLL | |
| 5 | Athletic Club | 32 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 52 | 30 | +22 | 58 | DDLWW | |
| 6 | Real Sociedad | 32 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 46 | 34 | +12 | 51 | DDWWW | |
| 7 | Real Betis | 32 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 40 | 38 | +2 | 48 | WWLLL | |
| 8 | Valencia | 32 | 13 | 8 | 11 | 35 | 34 | +1 | 47 | LWWDL | |
| 9 | Villarreal | 32 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 51 | 55 | -4 | 42 | WDLWW | |
| 10 | Getafe | 32 | 9 | 13 | 10 | 38 | 44 | -6 | 40 | DDLWL | |
| 11 | Osasuna | 32 | 11 | 6 | 15 | 37 | 46 | -9 | 39 | LLWLL | |
| 12 | Sevilla | 32 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 41 | 45 | -4 | 37 | WWWLD | |
| 13 | Las Palmas | 32 | 10 | 7 | 15 | 30 | 39 | -9 | 37 | LLLLL | |
| 14 | Deportivo Alavés | 32 | 9 | 8 | 15 | 28 | 38 | -10 | 35 | WLLLW | |
| 15 | Rayo Vallecano | 32 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 27 | 39 | -12 | 34 | WDDWL | |
| 16 | Mallorca | 32 | 6 | 13 | 13 | 26 | 38 | -12 | 31 | LLDWL | |
| 17 | Celta de Vigo | 32 | 7 | 10 | 15 | 37 | 47 | -10 | 31 | WLDWL | |
| 18 | Cádiz | 32 | 4 | 13 | 15 | 22 | 45 | -23 | 25 | LLWLW | |
| 19 | Granada | 32 | 3 | 9 | 20 | 33 | 61 | -28 | 18 | DWLLL | |
| 20 | Almería | 32 | 1 | 11 | 20 | 31 | 64 | -33 | 14 | LDLWD |
Match Facts and Stats: Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona
- Athletic Bilbao are undefeated in their last 6 home matches
- However, Barcelona have won their last 4 away matches...
- ...and the Blaugrana have lost just three of their last 38 ties against Athletic Bilbao (across all comps)
Team news: Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona
Athletic Bilbao: Ander Capa (suspended); Peru Nolaskoain, Íñigo Lekue, Aritz Aduriz (injured); Mikel Rico, Unai Simon (doubtful)
Barcelona: Jordi Alba (suspended); Rafinha, Samuel Umtiti, Jasper Cillessen, Arthur (injured); Lionel Messi, Ousmane Dembele (doubtful)
TV Channels and Broadcasts
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Match details, result and original broadcast info
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Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
