Preview: Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao - prediction, team news, lineups

Riding the crest of a five-goal opening-day demolition, Barcelona return to the Spotify Camp Nou on Thursday evening looking to make it two wins from two when Athletic Bilbao arrive for a LaLiga Matchday Two fixture that pits the defending champions against a side in need of a response.

Edin Terzic’s men were beaten 3-1 at home by Sevilla in their opener and must now go again against the most formidable opponent they could face at this stage - and without a win against Barca at Camp Nou in 15 LaLiga meetings.

Match preview

Hansi Flick’s side wasted no time in announcing their intentions for the new season, dismantling Elche 5-0 away from home on the opening day in a performance that underlined why they begin the campaign as title favourites.

New signing Karim Adeyemi was among those to make an immediate impression, with Raphinha opening the scoring before Adeyemi doubled the lead, Raphinha added a third, and Fermin Lopez rounded off the rout with a brace.

Barcelona won the title last season on 94 points, scoring 95 goals in a dominant campaign, and with their attacking options looking as potent as ever - reinforced by further additions this summer, there is little to suggest Flick’s side will relinquish their crown without a fight.

The Catalans’ home record against Athletic Bilbao in LaLiga is remarkable, with Barcelona unbeaten in 15 successive top-flight meetings at Camp Nou against the Basques - a statistic that will weigh heavily on Terzic’s players from the first whistle on Thursday.

Athletic Club begin a new era under Terzic following the departure of Ernesto Valverde at the end of last season, and the early signs have not been encouraging, with Bilbao losing their last three pre-season matches while conceding seven goals.

The opening day defeat to Sevilla did little to ease those concerns, with Bilbao’s afternoon at San Mames shaped entirely by Yuri Berchiche’s red card in the 11th minute, after which Sevilla took the lead through Oso in the 15th minute before Chidera Ejuke added a second in the 50th and Isaac Romero made it three seven minutes later.

Aitor Paredes’ 70th-minute goal gave Bilbao a consolation, but despite enjoying long spells of possession and producing more shots than their opponents, they were unable to recover from that early setback.

The head-to-head record between these two clubs offers Bilbao little encouragement - Athletic have scored just once in their last six meetings with Barcelona, and the most recent six encounters have all ended in Barcelona victories, with the Catalans scoring 17 goals and conceding once across that run.

The most recent meeting came in March 2026, when Barcelona won 1-0 at San Mames, following a 5-0 Super Cup victory in January 2026 and a 4-0 home win in LaLiga in November 2025.

Barcelona La Liga form:

Athletic Bilbao La Liga form:

Team News

Rodri could make his Barcelona debut on Thursday after returning to training following recovery from a minor back operation, and the midfielder’s availability will be a significant boost for Flick heading into the match.

Frenkie de Jong remains sidelined with a knee ligament injury, with no clear return date confirmed at this stage.

Gavi was forced off during the Elche victory with a knee problem that initially looked serious, but further assessment has revealed it to be a bruise, and the midfielder is expected to return to contention shortly.

For Athletic Bilbao, Unai Eguiluz, Daniel Vivian and Nico Serrano are all unavailable through injury, while Berchiche serves a one-match suspension following his red card against Sevilla.

Unai Simon will be looking to put his difficult opening day behind him, having conceded three goals against Sevilla despite keeping a clean sheet throughout Spain’s World Cup campaign.

Aymeric Laporte and Nico Williams both came off the bench against Sevilla, and Williams in particular could force his way back into the starting lineup on Thursday, as the winger is capable of posing a significant threat on the counter-attack.

Barcelona possible starting lineup:

Garcia; Espart, Cubarsi, Garcia, Martin; Bernal, Pedri; Yamal, Lopez, Raphinha, Adeyemi

Athletic Bilbao possible starting lineup:

Simon; Boiro, Paredes, Alvarez, Areso; Canales, Gerenabarrena; Berenguer, Sancet, N. Williams; Guruzeta

We say: Barcelona 3-0 Athletic Bilbao

Athletic have not scored in five of their last six meetings with Barcelona, and with Terzic’s side still finding their feet under a new manager, the conditions are set for another comfortable evening for the hosts.

Flick has an embarrassment of attacking riches at his disposal, and with Adeyemi and Raphinha already firing in combination, Barcelona are backed to claim a convincing home victory and maintain their perfect start to the title defence.

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