Barcelona vs. Athletic Bilbao: Form Guide for 2015 Spanish Super Cup Leg 1

Barcelona begin their search for their fifth trophy of 2015 when they take on Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup at the San Mames on Friday.

Luis Enrique’s side secured their place in this pre-season competition on two counts last term, winning La Liga as well as the Copa del Rey. The Basque outfit take part as they were the Blaugrana’s vanquished opponents in the final of the cup tournament.

In addition to the two aforementioned pieces of silverware, Barcelona also won the Champions League last campaign, while Tuesday night saw the Catalans triumph 5-4 over Sevilla in an exhilarating UEFA Super Cup final.

Can they turn a quartet of trophies into a quintet? Here’s a look at the form guide for both sides heading into this one and how the match will pan out on the night.

Athletic Club	Barcelona
D (0-0 vs. Inter Baki)	D (4-4 vs. Sevilla, won 5-4 in extra time)
L (2-0 vs. Osasuna)	W (3-0 vs. Roma)
W (2-0 vs. Inter Baki)	L (2-1 vs. Fiorentina)
D (1-1 vs. Real Valladolid)	D (2-2 vs. Chelsea, lost 4-2 on penalties)
D (1-1 vs. Real Betis)	L (3-1 vs. Manchester United)

Date: Friday, August 14

Time: 10 p.m. (local), 9 p.m. (BST), 4 p.m. (ET)

Barcelona Chasing a Famous 5

KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/Getty Images

For Barcelona, last season’s win in the Copa del Rey final, though arguably the least significant of all their trophy triumphs, paved the way for eventual treble glory.

The team dazzled in front of a packed Camp Nou, and backed by a raucous support, they surged into a 3-0 lead, eventually coming out 3-1 winners; a week later, they marched to Berlin to complete the box set of titles by winning the European Cup.

Athletic were the beaten opponents in the Copa, feeling the wrath of a Barcelona team in full flow—especially Lionel Messi, who scored this stunning goal on the night:

As we head into the first leg at the San Mames, the omens aren’t great for the Basque giants. Not only is Messi in remarkable pre-season form—he scored two sublime free-kicks in the Super Cup win over Sevilla—but the forward tore Athletic to bits last season in the corresponding league match, orchestrating a sublime 5-2 win.

ANDER GILLENEA/Getty Images

The Spanish Super Cup is a tournament Messi typically uses to grease the wheels ahead of the main season. As noted by the BarcaStat Twitter account, the iconic No. 10 has netted 10 goals in this competition, more than any other player.

The Bilbao outfit may feel there are some frailties that can be exploited in this Barca team, though. After all, they are likely to be without both Neymar and Jordi Alba for this one, and as was evident in the clash with Sevilla, in which Barca surrendered a 4-1 lead in the second half, the defensive cohesion that was so prevalent last season hasn’t yet materialised.

David Ramos/Getty Images

Athletic boss Ernesto Valverde also has some talent of his own to call upon. Aymeric Laporte is a commanding influence at the back, Ander Iturraspe a metronome in midfield and Aritz Aduriz is a brilliant target man.

The forward will be desperate to capitalise on a frail Barca back line, and as noted by OptaJose, he's scored a whopping 39 headed goals over the last decade in La Liga. That's a quality the hosts must utilise to full effect if they are to get something from this one.

Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

Athletic will have a typically fervent backing, and as such, it should be a very special occasion in what is a wonderful arena for football. But even without some key men and full defensive cohesion, expect the Catalan outfit to be too strong for their Basque rivals, taking a narrow lead back to Camp Nou.

Messi seems rejuvenated by his break, Luis Suarez is already back among the goals and, going forward as a whole, Barca are in the groove. With Enrique’s side opening the defence of their title at the San Mames on August 23, it’s imperative they set a strong precedent in this first-leg showdown.

Prediction: Athletic Club 1-2 Barcelona