Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona – News and Probable Lineups

Barcelona aims to achieve their third consecutive victory in Spain’s premier division as they take on Athletic Bilbao away this Saturday evening.

Hansi Flick’s team currently leads the La Liga standings, holding a four-point advantage over second-place Real Madrid, while Athletic sits ninth, trailing sixth-place Celta Vigo by five points.

Match overview

Athletic heads into Saturday’s contest against Barcelona following a 1-0 defeat to Real Sociedad in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final, resulting in a 2-0 aggregate loss that knocked them out of the tournament.

With only the league remaining in their sights for the rest of the season, Ernesto Valverde’s squad has indeed produced ten points across their last four encounters, including victories over Levante, Real Oviedo, and Elche, followed by a draw with Rayo Vallecano.

Athletic, now positioned ninth in La Liga, is five points adrift of sixth-placed Celta Vigo and a daunting 16 points shy of a top-four spot, making it unlikely for the Lions to secure Champions League participation in the 2026-27 season.

Throughout this season, Valverde’s side has accumulated 23 points from 13 home league games, as they prepare to face a Barcelona team that boasts the second-best away record in Spain’s top tier for 2025-26, although they have registered four losses on the road.

Historically, Athletic has suffered five consecutive defeats against Barcelona in all competitions, including a heavy 5-0 loss during the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals in January 2026.

Barcelona has remained unbeaten against Athletic since suffering a 4-2 defeat in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey in January 2024, and they have not lost to the Lions in Spain’s top flight since a 1-0 defeat at San Mames in August 2019.

The Catalan club was also engaged in Copa del Rey action during the previous week, falling short despite a 3-0 victory over Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their semi-final, as they had lost the first leg 4-0 in Madrid.

Barcelona has claimed victories in their last two league matches against Villarreal and Levante, bouncing back strongly after a 2-1 defeat to Girona on February 16.

Currently, Flick’s squad is at the top of the La Liga standings, four points clear of Real Madrid, who face Celta Vigo on Friday night.

This season, Barcelona has triumphed in 21 out of their 26 league fixtures and are currently the team to beat as they approach the finish line. They have also excelled offensively, scoring 71 goals in Spain’s top flight this term.

Athletic Bilbao La Liga form:

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Athletic Bilbao form (all competitions):

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Barcelona La Liga form:

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Barcelona form (all competitions):

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Team News

Athletic will again be without Yeray Alvarez (suspended), Nico Williams (groin), Benat Prados (knee), Unai Egiluz (knee), and Maroan Sannadi (knee) for Saturday’s match.

Fortunately, there are no new injury concerns following their recent 1-0 setback against Real Sociedad, meaning that the same squad is expected to be available for this fixture.

A change may occur in midfield for the contest against Barcelona, with Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta possibly being introduced, but Inaki Williams, Oihan Sancet, and Alex Berenguer are likely to provide support to Gorka Guruzeta in the attacking third.

For Barcelona, Robert Lewandowski is back in training after recovering from a fractured eye socket and may be a contender for the lineup at San Mames.

However, Andreas Christensen (knee), Jules Kounde (hamstring), Alejandro Balde (hamstring), Frenkie de Jong (hamstring), and Gavi (knee) remain sidelined.

Kounde and Balde sustained injuries in the previous match against Atletico, with Joao Cancelo and Gerard Martin expected to start as full-backs against Athletic.

Marc Bernal has been in impressive form recently, positioning him for another start in midfield, while Eric Garcia is expected to be featured in the defense.

Athletic Bilbao probable starting XI:

Simon; Vivian, Paredes, Laporte, Boiro; Rego, Ruiz de Galarreta; I Williams, Sancet, Berenguer; Guruzeta

Barcelona probable starting XI:

J Garcia; Cancelo, Cubarsi, E Garcia, Martin; Bernal, Pedri; Yamal, Fermin, Raphinha; F Torres

Athletic is in strong form in La Liga, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the points shared this Saturday, yet our feeling is that Barcelona’s attacking prowess could enable them to secure all three points this weekend.