The Matchday 27 La Liga clash between Athletic Club and Barcelona will take place on 7 March at San Mames in Bilbao. Athletic Club vs Barcelona: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Athletic Club
Their last league outing ended in a 1:1 away draw with Rayo Vallecano. Athletic Club saw a three-match winning run in this competition come to an end, but they are now unbeaten in five straight games – their best such streak in La Liga this season. It is also worth noting that the Basque club have seen both teams score in each of their last nine La Liga matches, while the hosts have failed to keep a clean sheet in 10 consecutive fixtures. The club are in the top half of the standings, currently five points short of the European places.
- Five of the Basque club’s previous seven matches in the Spanish top flight have gone over the total.
- Athletic Club’s scoring run at home in this competition stands at five games.
- The team have conceded more than one goal in only three of their last 12 home matches in La Liga.
Potential Athletic Club Lineup (4-2-3-1)*
Unai Simon – Jesus Areso, Dani Vivian, Aymeric Laporte, Yuri Berchiche – Mikel Jauregizar, Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta – Inaki Williams, Unai Gomez, Oihan Sancet – Gorka Guruzeta.
Due to injuries, defender Unai Egiluz, midfielder Benat Prados, and forwards Nico Williams and Maroan Sannadi will miss out.
Barcelona
In the previous round, the club thrashed a strong Villarreal 4:1, with their opponents battling for the bronze medals. The win at Camp Nou was Barcelona’s fifth in their last six La Liga matches, and on four occasions in that spell the team won by a big margin. At the same time, the Catalans scored four goals in a league game for the first time in their last 10 matches in this competition. Overall, since the start of the current La Liga season the club have scored 71 goals – by far the most in the division. Barcelona strengthened their lead at the top, and after the last matchday their advantage over Real Madrid increased to four points.
- The Catalans have scored in 46 consecutive matches in the Spanish top flight.
- The club’s all-or-nothing run in this competition has reached 23 matches (19 wins, 4 defeats).
- Barcelona’s last seven La Liga matches have gone over the total.
Potential Barcelona Lineup (4-2-3-1)*
Joan Garcia – Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Alex Balde – Fermin Lopez, Marc Bernal – Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha – Ferran Torres.
Defender Gerard Martin has served his suspension. Defenders Jules Kounde, Alex Balde and Andreas Christensen, along with midfielder Frenkie de Jong, are not ready due to injuries. Midfielder Gavi is a doubt.
Athletic Club vs Barcelona: Match Prediction
Athletic Club have improved and joined the race for a European place, with their current unbeaten run in La Liga stretching to five matches (3 wins, 2 draws). However, it is important to consider that during this spell the Basque side were mostly facing teams from the bottom half of the standings. Now they are up against one of their most awkward opponents. Athletic Club have not beaten Barcelona in La Liga since 2019, with 10 of the last 12 head-to-head meetings ending in defeat.
The Catalans, meanwhile, are holding on to top spot and pulling clear. The team have won five of their last six matches in the Spanish top flight, and across the previous 16 league rounds Barcelona have made only two slip-ups. On the road the club have not looked quite as flawless as they have at home, but even so the visitors have claimed five wins in their last seven away La Liga games.
Most likely, the away side will take another three points here.
Prediction: Barcelona to win
* For each team, the starting XI listed is from their last match in this competition.
