Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao Tips & Preview - Catalans set for victorious homecoming

By Tolu Shotade

4 hours ago

Tolu Shotade 4 hours ago

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Barcelona returns to Camp Nou after two years to face Athletic Bilbao.
Lewandowski leads the charge with 7 league goals; expect high-scoring action.
Athletic Bilbao struggle on the road, winless in 6 away matches.

Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao

Barcelona play at Camp Nou for the first time in over two years when they host Athletic Bilbao in a Spanish La Liga fixture.

The Catalans will be keen to put on a show in front of the home fans and also boast a solid record in this fixture. They should have the upper hand over the visitors, who have been well below their best this season.

Barcelona News

Barcelona can be pleased with their campaign so far, having picked up nine wins from 12 La Liga matches. Hansi Flick's team are currently three points behind leaders Real Madrid and will be aiming to maintain the pressure.

The Catalans claimed a 4-2 victory at Celta Vigo in their previous La Liga fixture, with Robert Lewandowski netting a hat-trick. They were also impressive on their adopted home ground, winning all six of their La Liga matches.

Despite spending time on the sidelines with injury, Lewandowski remains the leading scorer for Barcelona, with his hat-trick at Celta Vigo taking his tally to seven league goals. All five of their home matches have produced over 2.5 goals, while they have also scored the first goal in the first half in four of those fixtures.

Athletic Bilbao News

Athletic Bilbao went into the international break off the back of a 1-0 home victory over Real Oviedo last time out in La Liga. They were made to work hard for the win, with Nico Williams’ first-half effort proving the difference.

That was a vital return to winning ways for Athletic Bilbao, who had lost their previous three matches across all competitions. Ernesto Valverde's team have also struggled on their travels and are winless in their last six away matches, suffering five defeats on this run.

Athletic Bilbao often struggle to keep things tight at the back, with a 4-1 UEFA Champions League defeat at Borussia Dortmund among their recent away results. Two of their last four away matches across all competitions have produced over 2.5 goals.

Head to Head

Barcelona have a great record against Athletic Bilbao and are unbeaten in the last 10 matches, claiming seven wins on this run. The Catalans beat the visitors three times last season, earning a 3-0 away victory in the most recent meeting.

Verdict

Barcelona v Athletic Bilbao

Barcelona are expected to dominate this fixture, and having scored the first goal in the first half in four of their last five La Liga home matches, a repeat could be on the cards. The hosts have earned a win and over 2.5 goals in their last five home matches, and a similar outcome could be considered.

Robert Lewandowski looked like his old self in the win over Celta Vigo and will be keen to go on a scoring run. Having grabbed a brace in the last meeting with Athletic Bilbao, the striker could be backed to find the net once again.

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