Barcelona vs Athletic Club: La Liga – prediction, teams, lineups

What the report says

Barcelona head into their La Liga meeting with Athletic Club on Wednesday in Barcelona looking to build on a strong start to the season and continue their push for a third straight league title, according to Al Jazeera. The match is set for Camp Nou on August 27 at 9pm local time (19:00 GMT). Al Jazeera said Barcelona opened with a 5-0 win over Elche, while Athletic began with a 3-1 home loss to Sevilla.

The report also highlighted Barcelona’s ongoing search for a new striker, with the club still linked to Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez. Hansi Flick said Barcelona may finish the transfer window without another signing if the move does not happen, while club president Joan Laporta publicly maintained hope that the player could still arrive. The article noted that Atletico have not agreed to sell him, despite Barcelona’s interest.

For the match itself, Al Jazeera said Barcelona will be without several injured players, including Frenkie de Jong and Roony Bardghji, while Gavi is a doubt. Athletic must cope without suspended defender Yuri Berchiche, who was sent off in their opener, and with additional injury absences. The preview added that Barcelona have won recent meetings between the teams, including a 1-0 league victory in Bilbao and a 4-0 home win last season, though Athletic’s last competitive win over Barca came in the Copa del Rey in January 2024.