Athletic Bilbao vs FC Barcelona: Match Preview
1 year ago Ethan Cleverly
Sitting 10 points below current league leaders Atletico Madrid, FC Barcelona will go into this game looking for a victory. The Catalans are currently on a six match unbeaten streak, winning four of these games and drawing two. On the other hand, Athletic Bilbao are facing a rather unstable situation. Having sacked their boss Garitano, and implementing Marcelino, it will be interesting to see how they perform this Wednesday. Unlike the Blaugranas, Athletic Bilbao have had a mixture of results over their last six fixtures, winning two, drawing two and also losing two. They are currently in ninth place, and trail Barcelona by seven points. Moreover, Athletic Bilbao played one more match than FC Barcelona.
It will therefore be a very interesting match. Out of recent encounters, Athletic Bilbao have had the upper hand, with two late goals coming in last season. However, this was under a Barcelona which was very different to the one that exists now. Different managers, a different team and a different style of play dictated the blaugranas, with an Atheltic Bilbao stronger than it is today. The match will take place this Wednesday, at 9PM CET in Sam Mames.
Koeman is likely to call Griezmann back into the starting line-up, with Trincao another name in contention if Dembele does not play. After coming on as a substitute in the last match, Pjanic is set to start ahead of Busquets, who showed decent form in recent games. As for Bilbao, Berenguer and Munain could be lining up on the flanks, with Williams operating as the striker.
Match prediction: Athletic Bilbao 1-2 FC Barcelona
Ethan Cleverly
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