Barcelona are all set to hit the road to square up against Atheltic Club in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey.
Athletic Club will look to make it to their fifth consecutive Copa del Rey semi-final when they host Barcelona at San Mames. The Catalan giants produced an exceptional performance last time out in La Liga and will look to build on it. Meanwhile, the home team’s 14-match unbeaten run ended in their previous league outing, and they will look to return to winning ways.
Athletic Club have had a decent season so far. They are fifth in La Liga with 41 points out of their 21 matches. The Basque giants have registered 12 wins, five draws and four defeats. The home team booked a slot in the quarter-final with a comfortable 2-0 win over Alaves in the Round of 16.
Athletic Club dominated the proceedings in the Round of 16 fixture and ended up coming out on top. But, Athletic are heading into this quarter-final clash against Barcelona on the back of a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Valencia. Despite dominating the ball, they could not create enough chances and could not keep their 14-match unbeaten run going.
Meanwhile, Barcelona have not had the best of seasons so far. But they are in the race for all major titles. The Catalan giants are third in the league with 44 points out of their 20 matches. They have won 13, drawn five and have only lost twice so far. The Blaugrana made their way to this quarter-finals with an easy 3-1 win over Unionistas.
The reigning La Liga champions are heading into this fixture on the back of a morale-boosting 4-2 win over Real Betis. Isco did his best to stop Xavi’s team, but a Ferran Torres hattrick was enough to help Barcelona come out on top.
Barcelona will be confident about their chances and will be expecting a tough fight from Atheltic Club in the quarter-finals. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Athletic Club
The home team do not have to deal with any fresh injuries. But, they do have three players who are on the sidelines, Mikel Vesga, Oscar De Marcos and Dani Garcia. Inigo Ruiz de Galaretta is back fit and should play a part in this fixture. But, he is still unlikely to start.
Athletic Club could go ahead with the 4-2-3-1 formation in this fixture against Barcelona, and Unai Simon will most likely start in goal. Inigo Lekue and Yuri Berchiche will be the two full-backs. The duo will look to support the central defensive duo of Aitor Paredes and Dani Vivian.
In the centre of the park, Ander Herrera will operate alongside Benat Prados. They will form the double pivot in front of the back line and will look to shield them. The duo will also look to ensure they do not allow Barcelona players to dominate the proceedings.
Oihan Sancet will be the creator-in-chief, and he will have the support of Iker Muniain and Nico Williams who will feature out wide on the flanks. All three of them will look to contribute to their attacks and help out their number nine, Asier Villalibre.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Simon; Lekue, Vivian, Paredes, Berchiche; Herrera, Prados; Muniain, Sancet, N. Williams; Villalibre
Barcelona
Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Marcos Alonso, Inigo Martinez, Gavi, and Raphinha are still on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Andreas Christensen and Joao Cancelo have a race against time to fully fit to feature in this fixture.
Xavi will make a few changes to the XI that started against Real Betis last time out. Inaki Pena will continue in goal as Barcelona will most likely stick to the 4-3-3 formation against Athletic Club.
In the heart of the defence, Ronald Araujo will pair up with Jules Kounde. The duo will aim for a clean sheet and they will have the support of Hector Fort and Alejandro Balde. With Cancelo doubtful, teenage sensation Fort is all set to get a start here.
In the centre of the park, Ilkay Gundogan will have the support of Pedri and Frenkie de Jong. The trio will look to ensure they have the majority of the ball and they dictate the pace of this game.
Lamine Yamal was sensational last time out, but Xavi will still look to rest the 16-year-old and not rush him in. As a result, Ferran Torres, who was their hero last time out with a hat-trick, will feature on the right flank, while Joao Felix will start on the left. And, Robert Lewandowski will lead the line for Barcelona against Athletic Club.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pena; Fort, Kounde, Araujo, Balde; Pedri, Gundogan, de Jong; Torres, Lewandowski, Felix
Key Stats
- Athletic Club have not lost in their last 11 home games.
- Barcelona’s only quarter-final exit in the past 17 years came at the hands of Athletic Club back in 2019/20.
- Barcelona have won each of their last four matches against Athletic Club, and they have not even conceded once in those outings.
- The home team have made it to their fifth consecutive quarter-finals in the Copa del Rey.
- Athletic Club’s defeat in their last outing ended their 14-match unbeaten streak.
Player to Watch
Ferran Torres
Things have not been easy for Ferran Torres since he moved to Barcelona. But, he has slowly started to gain the trust of Xavi Hernandez. The 23-year-old has brought his A-game to the table in the ongoing season, and his performances have not gone unnoticed.
He has 15 goal contributions in just over 1,500 minutes of footballing action. The Spanish international is heading into this fixture on the back of a hat-trick against Real Betis, and he will be the major focus of attention as Barcelona fight for a spot in the semi-finals against Athletic Club.
Prediction
Athletic Club 0-2 Barcelona
Athletic Club have been in sensational form for a while now. Things might not have worked out for them last time out, but they were on a 14-match unbeaten run prior to that. As a result, they will surely give Barcelona a run for their money.
Meanwhile, the Catalan giants have done a decent job this season. While they have been inconsistent at times, their performance against Real Betis suggests they can surely take down any opposition on their day. Given the kind of form a few of their stars are in, Barcelona will have a rather easy day against Athletic Club. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for the visitors.