Athletic Bilbao vs. Barcelona: Preview, Live Stream, Start Time and More

Before they take on AC Milan in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, Barcelona has a date with the dangerous Athletic Bilbao.

Athletic was the first team to score on Barcelona this season, as the two battled to a 2-2 draw in November. Now, Barca will be seeking revenge, as well as a little momentum heading into Tuesday's showdown with Milan.

Although they tied in their first meeting, it was Barca's game to lose. They had possession 63 percent of the time, landed five more shots on goal and gave up one score due to a comical mishap on the backline (1:20 into the video). 

Don't count on them screwing it up the second time around.

Where: Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain

When: Saturday March 31, 4 PM EST

Watch: The match will be live streaming on-line at foxsoccer2go.com

Player to Watch for Barcelona: Xavi, Midfielder

Lionel Messi is the best player in the world, but Xavi is the engine behind Barcelona's offense.

It's almost unreal to watch as he performs surgery on opposing defenses with his pin-point passing. He sees angles that aren't there and finds space that doesn't exist. It's horribly cliche, but he's always one step ahead of the game. His brain just operates on a different level.

Keep an eye on him Saturday as he shreds Athletic's defense.

Player to Watch for Athletic Bilbao: Fernando Llorente, Forward

Llorente is one of the best strikers in La Liga and will likely be the subject of many transfer rumors this summer. Until then, he'll remain the driving force behind Athletic's offense.

The forward has 24 total goals on the season, including two in Thursday's 4-2 win over Schalke. If Athletic salvages a point from this match, it will be because Llorente found the net at least once.

Key Matchup: Llorente vs. Barcelona's back line

Llorente is the focal point of Athletic's offense and will be the biggest burden on Barca's defenders.

If he finds seams in the defense and creates opportunities for himself and his teammates, Athletic will have a chance. But if Puyol, Javier Mascherano and Gerard Piqué can contain him, Barca will cruise to an easy victory. 

What They're Saying:

According to The Times of India, Barca's manager had some very kind words for his opponents.

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Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola insisted on Friday that unheralded Athletic Bilbao were the surprise team of the Spanish season despite Marcelo Bielsa's team languishing in 11th place in the table.

"Athletic are the revelation this season," said Guardiola, whose side tackle Bilbao on Saturday.

"I admire Bielsa enormously and I try to learn from him. Bielsa could manage any team in the world and make them better."

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According to Fox Soccer, Athletic keeper Gorka Iraizoz is attempting to rally his teammates as they trudge through a tough schedule.

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The quick turnaround means fatigue is likely to be an issue, and Iraizoz has issued a rallying cry to his team-mates ahead of run-in that already boasts a Copa del Rey final against Barcelona on May 25 and the very real chance of a Europa League final on May 9.

"At this stage of the season everyone wants to win to achieve their goals, but now we have to buckle down and give it our all," Iraizoz told reporters.

"We have the extra motivation of knowing that we have played well until now, and that will give us the energy to continue forward because the effort needed will be maximum."

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Prediction:

Barcelona 3—Athletic Bilbao 1

The two tied in November, but I think that game was a slight fluke. Barca blew numerous chances, committed some horrendous errors and still managed to score two goals.

In the rematch, they won't succumb to the costly errors that allowed Athletic to hang around. Look for them to come out aggressive and put Athletic away early.