Barcelona 10/11 to beat Athletic Bilbao in Saturday’s La Liga battle

Competition: La Liga

Market: Barcelona win

Odds: 10/11 @ 888sport

Looking to make it back-to-back La Liga wins on Saturday night, Barcelona will make the trip to the San Mamés when they face off against Athletic Bilbao this weekend.

Starting with the hosts, while Athletic Bilbao might have signed off their pre-season preparations with a 1-1 draw against former Premier League champions Liverpool at Anfield, Los Leones failed to lay down much of a marker last weekend. Missing out on what they thought was a real chance on the road, Head Coach Marcelino saw his side have to settle for a 0-0 stalemate against Elche. Knowing that they face a stern test at the San Mamés on Saturday night, Bilbao will now be desperate to try and bring an end to what has been an extended La Liga blip on either side of the summer break. Signing off the 2020/21 campaign with three domestic defeats on the spin, it should also be noted that this weekend’s hosts hold a worrying record against the former Spanish champions. Including a 4-0 drumming when the two sides last faced off back in April, they have lost four of their last five meetings against Barca.

As for the visitors, while Barcelona might have started life without Lionel Messi last weekend, Ronald Koeman was filled with praise for his side’s display at the Nou Camp. Laying down what was a real marker and picking up an action-packed 4-2 victory against Real Sociedad on home soil, the former Dutch boss does find his squad enjoying a recent boost. Signing off their pre-season preparations with an eye-catching 3-0 romp against Italian giants Juventus in Catalonia, Barca should be smelling a golden chance on the road this weekend. Hoping to find a way to reclaim their La Liga crown this season and dethrone Atletico Madrid, Koeman’s side did manage to recruit some big name stars over the summer, despite their worrying financial issues. Given their rampant record against Bilbao, including that 4-0 win earlier in the year, we’re backing a similar away victory here.

Bet: Barcelona 10/11 to beat Athletic Bilbao in Saturday’s La Liga battle @ 888sport