Athletic Bilbao vs. Barcelona: Start Time and Schedule

Where: San Mames, Bilbao

When: Sunday, Nov. 6, 2:00 p.m. ET

Watch: Sport.TV2, SuperSport HD 2

Athletic Bilbao Injuries (via Donbest.com)

10/29/11	MF	Pablo Orbaiz	Ankle	"?" Sunday vs. Sporting Gijon.
10/25/11	MF	Carlos Gurpegi	Leg	Out indefinitely
10/22/11	MF	Ander Herrera	Knee	Out indefinitely

Barcelona's Injuries (via Donbest.com)

10/26/11	F	Pedro Rodriguez	Ankle	Expected to miss two weeks
10/24/11	DF	Carles Puyol	Leg	"?" Saturday vs. Mallorca
10/03/11	MF	Ibrahim Afellay	Knee	Out indefinitely
09/12/11	MF	Alexis Sanchez	Leg	Out indefinitely

Biggest Storyline:

Will Barcelona top the La Liga standings?

Barcelona is just a point off of Real Madrid, and with Leonel Messi finally springing back to life, stringing together a few victories in upcoming weeks should be enough to allow Barcelona to leap frog Real Madrid. Clearly, Athletic Bilbao is outmatched in this one, but Barcelona has to bring their "A" game with the top of the La Liga standings so tight.

What They're Saying

Pele on Lionel Messi via ESPNsoccernet

“Today there is no doubt Messi is the best player.”

Pele wouldn't concede that Lionel Messi is better than he was, but this praise points to just how dangerous Messi is. The Athletic Bilbao back line has to deal with the greatest player in the world.

Barcelona is overloaded with talent. If Bilbao is going to keep it close, they're going to have to avoid falling victim to their dangerous attack, led by the best player in the world, who just so happens to be coming off of a hat trick.

"Chelsea are chasing £25 million rated striker Fernando Llorente, according to ClubCall, with Tottenham also interested in bringing the star to White Hart Lane next January," writes Vanessa Keller of Givemefootball.com.

As Llorente performs well, his price tag goes up. He's drawing the attention of some of the most heralded teams in the EPL. A stellar performance is only going to drive up the interest of clubs around Europe.

Player to Watch for Athletic Bilbao: Fernando Llorente

Athletic Bilbao is going to need to keep pace with the monster attack Barcelona puts forth. Completely shutting down their offense isn't an option. Even if they are able to keep the match manageable, they'll need to produce multiple goals to even come away with a draw.

That's where Fernando Llorente comes in. He can't just have an average day if they are going to escape Barcelona; he's got to have a monster match. He's a player who can ignite the offense, and his team needs to ride that momentum to even have a shot at victory.

Player to Watch for Barcelona: Lionel Messi

Regardless of the match, the situation, the venue or the tournament, any time Messi steps onto the pitch, he's the man to watch. As the best attacker in the world, he's a true showman and has the ability to score impossible goals.

Clearly, Barcelona is overloaded with talent. Their squad is jam-packed with players who would be unquestionably the best player on other teams. Even with talent like Cesc Fabregas accompanying him in the attack, No. 10 commands all of the attention. Expect a multiple-goal outing now that he is seemingly back on track.

Prediction:

Barcelona 4, Athletic Bilbao 2