La Liga leaders Barcelona will look to further strengthen their position at the top when they hit the road to face Athletic Club.
Athletic Club will look to extend their five-match unbeaten run in La Liga when they host giants Barcelona on Saturday. Both teams were knocked out of the Copa del Rey last time out, and they will be eager to put it behind them with a win in this fixture.
The home team are ninth on the table with 35 points in their 26 matches. The Basque outfit have won ten, lost 11 and drawn five games so far. They are looking to push for a European spot, and since they are five points behind sixth-placed Celta Vigo, Athletic Club cannot afford to drop too many points going forward.
After a run of three straight wins in La Liga, they could only manage a 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano in their last league outing. The home team are heading into this fixture on the back of a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Real Sociedad in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final. After being knocked out of the cup competition, they will be eager to bounce back against Barcelona.
While the Catalan giants also got knocked out by Atletico Madrid (4-3 aggregate), they won the second leg 3-0, and it will certainly give them a lot of confidence. More importantly, the Blaugrana are top of La Liga with 64 points in their 26 outings. They have won 21 games, lost four and played out a draw just once.
Just weeks after losing the top spot, Hansi Flick’s are back in control of the title race and have a four-point lead over Real Madrid. Barcelona have won their last two league outings and will be eager to build on it against Athletic Club. 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
Ernesto Valverde’s team do not have any fresh injury concerns, but Athletic Club will be without the services of Yeray Alvarez (suspended), Nico Williams (groin), Benat Prados (knee), Unai Egiluz (knee) and Maroan Sannadi (knee) against Barcelona this weekend.
The home team will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Unai Simon will take charge in goal. Dani Vivian and Yuri Berchiche will feature as the full-backs, while Aitor Paredes will pair up with Aymeric Laporte in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Alejandro Rego and Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. They will look to ensure Barcelona midfielders do not dominate the ball too deep in their half.
Oihan Sancet will take up the number ten role, while Inaki Williams and Alex Berenguer will feature on the flanks for Athletic Club. Finally, Gorka Guruzeta is expected to be leading the line for Athletic Club against Barcelona this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Simon; Vivian, Paredes, Laporte, Boiro; Rego, Ruiz de Galarreta; Inaki Williams, Sancet, Berenguer; Guruzeta
Barcelona
Robert Lewandowski, who missed the Atletico Madrid game because of a fracture to his left eye socket, is back in training and could play a part in this fixture. But Barcelona remain without the services of Andreas Christensen (knee), Jules Kounde (hamstring), Alejandro Balde (hamstring), Frenkie de Jong (hamstring) and Gavi (knee) for the game against Athletic Club.
Both their full-backs picked up knocks against Atletico Madrid last time out, and they are likely to be replaced by Joao Cancelo and Gerard Martin. The visitors will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Joan Garcia will be in goal. Cancelo and Martin will feature as the full-backs, while Eric Garcia should pair up with Pau Cubarsi at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Marc Bernal will start alongside Pedri in the double pivot in the centre of the park. The duo will shield the backline and look to control the tempo of the game.
Fermin Lopez will be the attacking midfielder, with Lamine Yamal and Raphinha taking charge on the flanks. Meanwhile, Ferran Torres will spearhead the Barcelona attack against Athletic Club, with Lewandowski unlikely to be risked from the get-go.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Joan Garcia; Cancelo, Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Martin; Bernal, Pedri; Yamal, Fermin, Raphinha; Ferran Torres
Key Stats
- Barcelona are heading into this fixture on the back of three straight wins in all competitions.
- The Catalan giants have won five out of their last six league outings.
- Athletic Club are winless in their last two outings, but they have been unbeaten in their last four league games (three wins, one draw).
- Hansi Flick’s team have the best attack in the competition, having bagged 71 goals in 26 outings.
- Athletic Club last won against Barcelona at San Mames back in August 2019 (1-0).
Player to Watch
Ferran Torres
While Barcelona secured a 3-0 win over Atletico Madrid last time out, they needed another goal to stay alive in the tie. It was a dominant display from the Catalan giants, but Ferran Torres was not at his best. The Spaniard missed a few big chances, and he has received widespread criticism as a result.
The 26-year-old has bagged 16 goals this term, and he certainly knows how to find the back of the net. After a disappointing outing in the last game, the Spanish international will be eager to bounce back with a standout performance against Athletic Club.
Prediction
Athletic Club 1-3 Barcelona
Athletic Club have been quite resilient in La Liga in recent weeks and will be confident of making life difficult for Barcelona at San Mames. Ernesto Valverde’s men have been solid at home and will rely on the pace of Inaki Williams and the creativity of Oihan Sancet to trouble the visitors on the counter.
However, Barcelona have been one of the most consistent teams in Spain this season and possess the firepower to break down stubborn defences. With players like Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Ferran Torres capable of producing moments of quality in the final third, Hansi Flick’s team should have the edge.
Expect Barcelona to control large phases of the contest and eventually come away with an important victory in the title race. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the away team.