Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
Barcelona welcome Ernesto Valverde's Athletic Club de Bilbao to Camp Nou looking to extend a run that has seen the visitors only manage to stop the Blaugrana from taking all three points on two occasions in the last 12 years, per Fussball Wettpoint.
Indeed, since 2002 Barca haven't lost to this particular opponent when on home soil—in any competition.
Valverde will hope his team can build on their decent current form of only three losses since early October per WhoScored.com and perhaps play the kind of game that saw them take the Blaugrana apart at the beginning of this season in the Spanish Sup Cup.
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
Chief destroyer that day, Aritz Arduriz, will be missing for this one. A booking at Sevilla last time out gave him five for the campaign and an immediate ban. He'll be a big miss too.
The old-school target-man is 34 years young and over the last couple of seasons has enjoyed something of a personal renaissance.
His omission gives Valverde the chance to assess the merits of other members of his squad and perhaps a hint to the future in an attacking sense for Athletic.
Despite another full-on El Derbi match against Espanyol, Barca look to have come through the test unscathed and Rafinha aside, Luis Enrique has a full squad to choose from.
He told reporters in his pre-match conference per FCBarcelona.com:
"I hope Arda and Aleix continue to improve. I am not surprised by their good performances.
[...] If we get through in the Cup, February will be busy as well. An attractive phase is coming.
[...] Aduriz and Raúl García are important absentees for Athletic, but whoever plays they will be dangerous.
"
He and members of his side will know before kick-off how table-toppers Atletico Madrid have done at Las Palmas, and the result is likely to give Barca the motivation to see this game out too.
Date: Sunday, 17 January
Time: 7:30 p.m. GMT/2:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona
TV Info: Sky Sports 4/Sky Sports 4 HD (UK only)/beIN Sports 1 (U.S. only)
Live Stream: Sky Go (UK only)/ beIN Sports Connect (U.S. only), FuBoTV (Free trial + monthly subscription U.S. only)
Form Lines
Credit: WhoScored.com
Predicted Formations
Although Athletic's main striker is missing, it's unlikely Ernesto Valverde will change the shape of the side to accommodate his omission.
Sabin Merino will slot in for Aritz Aduriz but will need both Inaki Williams and Iker Muniain supplying the bullets from the wider areas and then supporting from any knockdowns.
To that end, Markel Susaeta's role is vitally important in that he needs to get in front of Sergio Busquets to effectively and efficiently deliver from his central standpoint. Susaeta stands in for Raul Garcia, which is another huge miss for the visitors.
Be that out to the wide players or in behind the defenders for Merino to run onto.
Both Dani Alves and Jordi Alba continue to bomb forward with wanton abandon, so Garcia may find some early success with the balls in behind the full-backs.
Williams in particular is no slouch and will, at times, give Alba a decent run for his money.
Claudio Bravo might want to reconsider playing a high line if he sees Mikel San Jose wandering anywhere close to the centre circle.
The defensive midfielder scored the goal of his life against Bravo's colleague Marc-Andre ter Stegen earlier in the campaign, and while it's highly unlikely lightning will strike twice, if the opportunity presents itself, don't bet against San Jose trying his luck again.
Benat against Arda Turan in the middle of the park is a battle par excellence. Both midfielders are tigerish in the tackle, determined in their pursuit of the ball and skilful in their distribution. There'll almost certainly be no quarter asked or given in that particular matchup.
Andres Iniesta and Neymar will do their level best to torment Carlos Gurpegi and draw him into an early indiscretion. Oscar de Marcos should be a little more studious in his defensive endeavours but if Barca's attackers can escape his particular shackles, there's no hiding place for Gurpegi.
Mikel Balenziaga and Aymeric Laporte have Lionel Messi to contain, and as the little maestro has proved beyond doubt before now, he does have the measure of those two.
With Luis Suarez completing a familiar front line, Gorka Iraizoz and his defenders have their work cut out to keep the score down.
Player to Watch
Although he was on the losing side in the Spanish Cup Final last season, Inaki Williams demonstrated at Camp Nou why he was is highly rated.
Energetic, quick and a real workhorse, Williams is fast becoming the darling of the New San Mames.
The exuberance and fearlessness of youth authors much of his natural game and importantly he'll keep knocking on the opposition door throughout.
Jordi Alba can certainly match him for pace but Barca's left-back could struggle against the sheer effort and will-to-tin that Williams will undoubtedly display.
With Arduriz unavailable there's no target man to hold up the ball. Therefore, Athletic's decisive interplay is likely to come from the channels as the visitors look to widen the pitch at every opportunity.
If Iker Muniain can replicate Williams' thrust on the opposite flank, Ernesto Valverde's side have a chance of at least forcing a handful of goalscoring opportunities.
Key Battle
Aymeric Laporte was twisted inside and out in the Copa Del Rey Final as Lionel Messi went on a stunning and mesmerising solo run to score one of the most memorable goals in the competition.
The youngster is still interesting Barcelona, according to Albert Roge of Sport and may well become a summer signing if the Catalans firm up their interest.
In the meantime, there is the small matter of Messi to deal with again.
Their battles have sometimes been equal, and Messi has gotten the better of his marker on a few occasions; however, it's hard to pinpoint when Laporte has gotten the better of the Argentinian.
Aerially, it's no contest with the Bilbao man head and shoulders—literally—above his opponent, but it's on the deck where Messi will do the damage.
The forward is an expert at drawing his marker out of position and then exploiting the space in behind to its fullest effect.
Laporte's conundrum is whether he sits and holds his position, arguably inviting Messi onto the back line at something close to full pace. Or, he steps out and meets the danger head-on, hoping he manages to get a tackle in or the covering behind him is good enough for Messi to not be decisive.
Odds
Barcelona: 25-139
Athletic Bilbao: 14-1
Draw: 13-2
(via Odds Shark)
