La Liga week 26 preview: Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao
FC Barcelona take on Athletic Club at Camp Nou on February 28, which would be their third faceoff this season. Will the hosts finally win against Bilbao, or will the latter emerge on top once more?
Overview
The first time these two met in this season’s La Liga was on August 22 at San Mamés, which concluded in a 1-1 draw. They crossed paths once again last month, this time in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey, where Athletic prevailed, 3-2.
FC Barcelona have since recovered from their slump and are currently at fourth of the table with 42 points, their last league defeat dating back to December 4 of last year. They won against Valencia, 4-1, in their most recent fixture.
Athletic, meanwhile, are doing well since conceding the 2022 Supercopa de España final to Real Madrid. They have not lost a domestic league match since then, their latest victims being Real Sociedad with a score of 4-0.
Stats
Barça have been 5-3-2 in all competitions (4-2-0 at La Liga) since the start of the year. They have been on the road a lot, having only played one league game at Camp Nou in two months. That lone home schedule turned out to be a 4-2 victory over defending champions Atlético Madrid on February 6.
Athletic Bilbao have only dropped a single La Liga assignment since January, going 4-1-1 (8-2-2 in all competitions) in that stretch. Their away league results though are not that impressive (3-8-2 for the season), attaining a draw (vs Alavés, 0-0, on January 10), a win (vs Rayo Vallecano, 1-0, on January 24), and a loss (vs Mallorca, 2-3, on February 15) in their most recent journeys outside of Bilbao.
In their head-to-head matchups since 2020, Barcelona hold a slim lead, four wins to three, along with one draw.
Recent form
FC Barcelona
defeated Valencia, 4-1
drew with Napoli, 1-1
drew with Espanyol, 2-2
defeated Atlético Madrid, 4-2
defeated Alavés, 1-0
Athletic Bilbao
defeated Real Sociedad, 4-0
lost to Mallorca, 2-3
drew with Valencia, 1-1
defeated Espanyol, 2-1
defeated Real Madrid, 1-0
Prediction
As exhibited by the Blaugrana this season, it is hard to keep a powerhouse down. Besides, this would be the first occasion this season that the contest would be staged at Camp Nou. Nevertheless, this is a hard call to make considering Los Leones are on a roll as well.
The safe bet is over 1.5 goals, but those who have a higher risk appetite might opt for over 2.5 goals.
Tips
Barcelona to win
Over 1.5 goals
