Rabat – Barcelona will host Athletic Club at the newly reopened Spotify Camp Nou today. It will be Barcelona’s first official home game at Camp Nou in more than two years, following major stadium renovations. Around 45,401 fans are expected to attend the match.
Match Details
- Fixture: FC Barcelona vs Athletic Club Bilbao
- Competition: Spanish La Liga (Matchday 13)
- Venue: Spotify Camp Nou (Barcelona, Spain)
- Date: Saturday, November 22
- Kick-off: 4:15 p.m. CET (GMT+1)
- How to Watch: BeIN Sport 1 (MENA), ESPN+ (USA), ESPN Deportes, FuboTV
Barcelona Team News
Injuries/Suspensions: Coach Hansi Flick is missing several key players. Pedri and Gavi are both injured, while Frenkie de Jong is suspended.
Goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen is also out, so Joan García will start in goal.
Returns/Doubts: Raphinha and Garcia have recovered from injuries, and Lamine Yamal is fit to play.
Marcus Rashford is ill with a fever and is a doubt. Flick said Raphinha will begin on the bench, with García back as the first-choice goalkeeper.
Recent Form: Barcelona are in good form. In their last five matches, they won three, drew one, and lost one. They beat Celta Vigo 4-2, with Lewandowski scoring a hat-trick.
The team has scored 17 goals in those five games but has struggled defensively, conceding in every match since Garcia’s injury.
Key Players: Lewandowski leads the attack and is in excellent form.
Ferran Torres, Raphinha, Dani Olmo, and Lamine Yamal add speed and creativity on the wings.
In midfield, Fermin López or Eric García may step in to cover absences.
Barcelona Likely XI : Joan García; Koundé, Araújo, E. García, Balde; Casado, F. López; Yamal, Olmo, Torres; Lewandowski.
Athletic Club Team News
Injuries/Suspensions: Athletic will be without captain Iñaki Williams, who has a hamstring injury and will not return until after the winter break.
Nico Williams (pubalgia) and Oihan Sancet (thigh) are back in training and expected to play. Maroan Sannadi and Beñat Prados remain out with long-term injuries.
Recent Form: Athletic are 7th in La Liga with 17 points (5 wins, 2 draws, 5 losses). They ended a three-game losing streak with a 1-0 win over Real Oviedo in their last match.
In their last five games, they managed 2 wins and 3 defeats, including a 3-1 Champions League victory against Qarabag. Away from home, they have struggled defensively, conceding 7 goals in their last 5 matches.
Key Players: Goalkeeper Unai Simon provides stability. Aymeric Laporte and Yuri Berchiche lead the defense. Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta adds energy in midfield.
Alex Berenguer and Gorka Guruzeta are key in attack, with Nico Williams expected to play an important role alongside Berenguer in Iñaki’s absence.
Athletic Club Likely XI: Simón; Gorosabel, Vivian, Laporte, Berchiche; Galarreta, Jauregizar; Berenguer, Sancet, N. Williams; Guruzeta.
What to Expect
Barcelona is aiming to keep pressure on Real Madrid at the top of La Liga.
History favors Barcelona; they have won 20 of the last 23 home league games against Athletic and 9 of the last 11 overall.
In May 2025, Barcelona beat Athletic 3-0 in Bilbao with two goals from Lewandowski. Athletic have not beaten Barça in the league since 2019.
Under coach Hansi Flick, Barcelona will dominate possession and press high, but their defense has been weak. They have conceded 15 goals in 12 matches and have not kept a clean sheet in their last nine.
Bilbao, coached by Ernesto Valverde, will look to counterattack and use space behind Barcelona’s defense. Defender Inigo Lekue said stopping young star Lamine Yamal is a priority.
Safe Bets
- Both Teams to Score (Yes): Barcelona have conceded in every recent game, and Athletic often score.
- Over 2.5 Goals: Barcelona’s last five matches all had more than 2.5 goals, and Athletic also plays in open games.
- Robert Lewandowski to Score: Lewandowski is Barcelona’s main striker and scored a hat-trick in the last match.
Final prediction: Athletic Club 3-2 Barcelona
