Barcelona is set to play host to Athletic Bilbao this weekend at Estadio Camp Nou in the 27th round of the La Liga campaign. Showdown schedules for 27th February 2022 at 23:00 EAT.
Barcelona has improved the new management of gaffer Xavi compared to the first few months in the campaign. They are on an unbeaten run of seven games at the moment and they currently sit in the fourth place with 42 points. In their last five matches they have three win and two draws. Both teams have scored in six of their last nine La Liga games, and eight of their last nine in all competitions.
Barça gets into this fixture in high spirits coming off 2-4 Europa League success over SSC Napoli. In that fixture, Barcelona had 56% possession, 16 shots with six on target and goals scored by Jordi Alba (8′), Frenkie de Jong (13′), Gerard Piqué (45′) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (59′). SSC Napoli got seven shots with three of them on target and goals by Lorenzo Insigne (23′) and Matteo Politano (87′).
In opposition, Bilbao well has been playing well on the top half of the table currently they are occupying the eighth spot with 37 points in the table. Athletic have won three of their last four in Spain’s top flight, while they have lost just one of their last six during an impressive run of form, so the visitors will enter this weekend’s contest full of coincidence.
Los Leones heads into this fixture confident after they trashed Real Sociedad 4-0 in their previous La Liga action. In that game, Athletic Bilbao had 47% possession, 18 shots with eight of them on target and goals scored by Dani Vivian (68′), Oihan Sancet (72′), Iñaki Williams (80′) and Iker Muniain (89′). Real Sociedad on the other hand got nine shots with two of them on target.
Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao head to head
Barça has an excellent record against Athletic Bilbao having claimed victory 46 times out the 74 meeting since 1993. There have been 25 draws and Athletic Bilbao claims 13 victories.
- Bilbao 3-2 Barcelona 20/01/22
- Bilbao 1-1 Barcelona 21/08/21
- Bilbao 0-4 Barcelona 17/04/21
- Barcelona 2-1 Bilbao 31/01/21
- Barcelona 2-3 Bilbao 17/01/21
Home
- Napoli 2-4 Barcelona
- Valencia 1-4 Barcelona
- Barcelona 1-1 Napoli
- Espanyol 2-2 Barcelona
- Barcelona 4-2 Atletico
Away
- Bilbao 4-0 Real Sociedad
- Mallorca 3-2 Bilbao
- Bilbao 1-1 Valencia
- Bilbao 2-1 Espanyol
- Bilbao 1-0 Real Madrid
Barcelona team news
Xavi will not be able to call upon Samuel Umtiti, Ansu Fati, Sergi Roberto and Alejandro who are all sidelined through injuries.
Athletic Bilbao team news
Marcelino García Toral’s side will be without Nico Williams who is on the sidelines with an injury and Alex Berenguer who is out serving suspension.
Prediction and odds
Xavi’s troops are on a 14-fixture unbeaten run, and they had also won three of their past five games while Atletico also won five of their previous seven overall fixtures, and they had remained unbeaten in six of their past eight road trips.
- Barcelona Win
- Draw
- Both teams to score
