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Athletic have won two of their last five meetings with Barcelona, both finishing 3-2 after extra time. However, they’re winless in 25 visits to Camp Nou, dating back to 2001.
Both teams to score is 19/20.
Barcelona to win and over 2.5 goals is 6/4.
Barcelona to win and both teams to score is 13/5.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored four goals already this week. He is 3/1 to open the scoring and 10/11 to add to his tally.
Match preview
Will Barcelona’s recent upturn in form continue?
He’s now scored a hat-trick in four of the ‘top five’ leagues (Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Premier League & La Liga), matching Jürgen Klinsmann’s record.
Although the Gabonese striker was possibly lucky to be given a hat-trick as his third was a shot by Pedri that innocuously deflected off his back.
What is clear is that this win means the Blaugrana are now unbeaten nine La Liga games, winning five of those, so remain fourth.
Then, on Thursday night, the Catalan giants reached the Europa League round of 16, beating Napoli 4-2 Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Jordi Alba, Frenkie de Jong, Gerard Piqué and then Aubameyang all on target as they ousted the Italian giants.
Barça will now face Galatasaray next month for a place in the quarter-finals and they’re certainly amongst the favourites to win that trophy.
Back in La Liga, will Xavi’s side cement their place in the top four?
Athletic Club Bilbao though will come into this one bouncing after an historic victory last Sunday night.
The Lions hammered Real Sociedad 4-0 in the Basque Derby a week ago with all the goals at San Mamés coming in a 20 minute spree.
Daniel Vivian, Oihan Sancet, Iñaki Williams and Iker Muniain all netting in Athletic’s biggest derby win since October 1959.
In the present, Marcelino’s men have now taken 13 points from the last 18 available so remain eight but are on the cusp of the European places.
In January, Athletic beat Atlético in the Supercopa and then both Barça and Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey.
Inspired by their recent cups scalps, can the Basque giants now cause a big upset in La Liga?
Barcelona team news
For the first time since getting sent off against Atlético on 6 February, Dani Alves is available to play.
That’s because the 38 year old Brazilian was serving a two-match domestic ban and wasn’t included in the UEFA squad.
He could come in at right-back in place of Sergiño Dest who’d been deputising.
In the middle, Ronald Araújo and Gerard Piqué are likely to continue with Clément Lenglet injured, Eric García not trusted and Óscar Mingueza the alternative.
The main reason for Barça’ upturn in form is the increase in quality of their strikers.
Three January arrivals Adama Traoré, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ferran Torres formed the front three at Napoli and that could be the case again.
Ousmane Dembélé, Martin Braithwaite and Luuk de Jong are the other options with Memphis and Ansu injured.
Athletic Bilbao team news
Unlike their hosts, Marcelino’s men have had a week to prepare for this one so they’ve got to make this advantage count.
Oihan Sancet scored off the bench in the derby but could remain on it with Raúl García and Iñaki Williams continuing as the strikers.
Asier Villalibre, who famously played the trumpet on the pitch after Athletic beat Barça in the 2021 Supercopa Final, will also be a substitute.
At the other end of the pitch, Daniel Vivian could continue as Iñigo Martínez’s partner, chosen over Yeray Álvarez and Unai Núñez at centre-back.
La Liga table:
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