Prediction: Barcelona to win 2-0
Best Odds: 13/2
Bookmaker: Betfair
Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona will face each other in La Liga this week. The match at San Mames is slated to kick off at 8pm UK time on Wednesday.
Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Bilbao will head into the match against Barcelona at San Mames on the back of a 1-0 victory over Elche at home on Sunday. Iker Muniain, who can operate as a winger or as a forward, scored the only goal of the match in the 25th minute. The result saw the Basque club bounce back from a 1-0 defeat to Real Sociedad on New Year’s Eve.
Bilbao are ninth in the La Liga table at the moment with 21 points from 17 matches, just three points behind seventh-placed Granada, who occupy the final European place. Los Leones finished 11th in the league table last season and will be determined to at least challenge for the European places this time around. The match against Barcelona will be Marcelino Garcia Toral’s first in charge of his new club Bilbao.
Team news:
Inaki Williams is likely to lead the line for Bilbao against Barcelona, while Muniain is set to operate out wide.
Barcelona
Barcelona are fifth in the La Liga table at the moment with 28 points from 16 matches, as many as 10 points behind leaders Atletico Madrid, who have played 15 games. Although it is only the first week of January, it appears that Ronald Koeman’s side are out of the race to win the league title this season and could even face a fight to finish in the Champions League places.
The former Spanish and European champions will head into the match against Bilbao on the back of a 1-0 win against Huesca away from home in La Liga. Frenkie de Jong scored the only goal of the match in the 27th minute after he was fed through on goal by Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.
Team news:
Antoine Griezmann is likely to return to the side, while Messi will once again be a key figure in the team. Miralem Pjanic could also start for Barcelona.
Key Factors to Consider
- Barcelona have scored 30 goals in 16 La Liga matches.
- Athletic Bilba have scored 19 goals in 17 La Liga matches.
- Barcelona have conceded 15 goals in 16 La Liga games.
- Athletic Bilbao have conceded 19 goals in 17 La Liga games.
- Lionel Messi has scored seven goals and provided two assists in the league.
Conclusion
Barcelona have not been consistent this season, and fans will be worried about dropping points against Bilbao, who won in their last outing. However, with Messi back in the team, the Catalan giants should pick up all three points from the encounter.
Prediction: Barcelona to win 2-0
Best Odds: 13/2
Bookmaker: Betfair
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