Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao Preview: Team News, H2H, early injury news, probable lineups, tickets and more

La Liga action returns to Spotify Camp Nou after the international break as  Barcelona hosts Athletic Bilbao. The stadium is set to open its doors after 2023 with a limited capacity. 

The Catalans returned to winning ways just before the international break. A Robert Lewandowski hat-trick inspired them to a 4-2 victory against Celta Vigo away from home. Hansi Flick's side has no problems with putting the ball in the back of the net. But the real issue remains in preventing the ball from going into their own net. They haven't kept a clean sheet in all competitions since September. They will be hoping for a change of fortunes as they return to Camp Nou. The stadium aims to host a limited crowd of 30,000, with redevelopment works going on. Lamine Yamal, who dreams of starring at Camp Nou, is in doubt for the clash.

Athletic Club picked up a much-needed victory to arrest a three-game losing run. Nico Williams scored a fantastic goal to seal a slender victory against Real Oviedo. The star winger, however, has picked up an injury on international duty and is in doubt to feature against Barcelona. After yet another summer saga, Williams chose to stay at Athletic, turning down Barcelona's interest. Ernesto Valverde, who lifted two La Liga titles with Barcelona, will be looking to continue the momentum before a tough run of fixtures for his side.

Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao last-minute tickets: How to buy

Celebrate the return of action to Camp Nou by grabbing your tickets. SeatPick helps you find tickets even at the last minute to enjoy all the action live from the ground.

READ MORE: FC Barcelona 2025/26 tickets: Prices, resale, hospitality & more

How to watch Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao online - TV channels & live streams

The game will be streamed on La Liga TV and Premier Sports Player for fans in the UK. It will be aired on ESPN Deportes in the US with Spanish commentary. They can also stream it on ESPN Select and  Fubo in the US and Canada.  

READ MORE: How to get a five-day free pass with Fubo

How to watch Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao worldwide

Here is how you can watch Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao worldwide:

How to watch anywhere with a VPN

If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) in order to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are not sure which VPN to use, check out GOAL's guide to the best VPNs for streaming sports.

Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao Key Matchups

Robert Lewandowski vs Aymeric Laporte: Lewandowski might be slightly injury-prone now, but when the Polish striker returns to full fitness, he is still among the best in the business. A ruthless hat-trick sent a warning to the rest of the league. He will take on Laporte, who will be guarding Bilbao's goal. The Spaniard made a smooth return to La Liga after a short spell in Saudi Arabia. He will be keen to deny any half-chances to the striker. His ball-playing will also cause problems for Barcelona's fragile defence.

Marcus Rashford vs Andoni Gorosabel: Rashford donned the mantle of assist king for the Catalans. With six assists, he leads the charts in the league. Rashford's pace and trickery have been causing endless problems for the fullbacks. Gorosabel will be hoping to catch Rashford on an off-day as the Spanish fullback also shoulders the responsibility of attacking down the right for his side.

Alejandro Balde vs Alex Berenguer: Berenguer created the most big chances for his side. Despite not boasting electric pace, he can hold the ball and find line-breaking passes. Balde will be buzzing with energy on the left wing to pin the attack back and help his side.

Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao Prediction

Barcelona's attack despite the injuries will be too much for Bilbao's defence to handle. The Catalans will also be keen to celebrate their return to their famous home ground with a resounding victory. Valverde, who was once revered at this venue, would love to spoil the party.

GOAL's Prediction: Barcelona 3-1 Athletic Bilbao

Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao kick-off time

LaLiga - LaLiga

Spotify Camp Nou

Spotify Camp Nou will host the match on Saturday, 22nd November at 16:15 CET  / 17:15 GMT / 12:15 ET.

Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao Team news & squads

Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao lineups

Barcelona

4-2-3-1

Formation

4-2-3-1

ATH

13

J. Garcia

18

G. Martin

23

J. Kounde

3

A. Balde

5

P. Cubarsi

10

L. Yamal

16

F. Lopez

7

F. Torres

20

D. Olmo

24

E. Garcia

9

C

R. Lewandowski

1

U. Simon

14

A. Laporte

2

A. Gorosabel

17

C

Y. Berchiche

3

D. Vivian

8

O. Sancet

7

A. Berenguer

10

N. Williams

18

M. Jauregizar

16

I. Ruiz de Galarreta

20

U. Gomez

4-2-3-1

ATH

BAR

-Line up

• 13

  J. Garcia

• 18

  G. Martin

• 23

  J. Kounde

• 3

  A. Balde

  46’

• 5

  P. Cubarsi

• 10

  L. Yamal

  45’ + 3’, 90’

• 16

  F. Lopez

  48’

  64’

• 7

  F. Torres

  45’ + 3’, 90’

• 20

  D. Olmo

  81’

• 24

  E. Garcia

  74’

• 9

  R. Lewandowski (C)

  4’

  64’

Substitutes

• 17

  M. Casado

  64’

• 31

  D. Kochen

• 22

  M. Bernal

  74’

• 25

  W. Szczesny

• 15

  A. Christensen

• 4

  R. Araujo

  46’

• 11

  Raphinha

  81’

• 27

  D. Fernandez

  64’

• 28

  R. Bardghji

Manager

• H. Flick

ATH

-Line up

• 1

  U. Simon

• 14

  A. Laporte

• 2

  A. Gorosabel

  73’

• 17

  Y. Berchiche (C)

• 3

  D. Vivian

• 8

  O. Sancet

  54’

• 7

  A. Berenguer

  68’

• 10

  N. Williams

  56’

• 18

  M. Jauregizar

  68’

• 16

  I. Ruiz de Galarreta

  43’

  55’

• 20

  U. Gomez

  56’

Substitutes

• 11

  G. Guruzeta

  56’

• 22

  N. Serrano

• 30

  A. Rego

  55’

• 4

  A. Paredes

• 23

  R. Navarro

  56’

• 6

  M. Vesga

  68’

• 27

  A. Padilla

• 12

  J. Areso

• 25

  U. Izeta

• 15

  I. Lekue

• 19

  A. Boiro

  68’

• 44

  S. Sanchez

Manager

• E. Valverde

Barcelona team news

Getty Images

There was a war of words during the international break between Spain and Barcelona regarding Yamal. There is still an element of doubt over Yamal's availability for the weekend. With Frenkie de Jong suspended and Pedri injured, Flick has to depend on a makeshift midfield. Eric Garcia could play in the middle in a deeper role as Jules Kounde takes the right-back spot. Rashford's form is making Raphinha's absence forgettable. With Lewandowski back among goals, Flick has an easy choice in attack.

Predicted Lineups: Szczesny; Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Balde; Olmo, Garcia, Lopez; Torres, Lewandowski, Rashford

Athletic Bilbao team news

Getty Images

Nico's injury means both the Williams brothers are in the treatment room for Bilbao. They also miss the services of Oihan Sancet, Maroan Sannadi and Benat Prados. Valverde has to configure his attack while maintaining defensive solidity. 

Predicted Lineups: Simon; Gorosabel, Vivian, Laporte, Berchiche; De Galarreta, Jauregizar; Berenguer, Sanchez, Navarro ; Guruzeta

Form

Head-to-Head Record

BAR

Last 5 matches

ATH

3

Wins

1

Draw

1

Win

• Athletic Bilbao

  0

  -

  3

  Barcelona

• Athletic Bilbao

  0

  -

  2

  Barcelona

• Barcelona

  2

  -

  1

  Athletic Bilbao

• Athletic Bilbao

  0

  -

  0

  Barcelona

• Athletic Bilbao

  4

  -

  2

  Barcelona

7

Goals scored

3

Games over 2.5 goals

2/5

Both teams scored

1/5

The Last Meeting

These sides last met on the 38th matchday of the 2024/25 La Liga season. It was an emotional occasion for Oscar de Marcos, who was playing the final game of his career. Barcelona sealed the league title, and Bilbao qualified for the Champions League. With no major stakes on the line, both sides rotated. But the champions proved their mettle by coasting to a comfortable 3-0 victory courtesy of a brace from Lewandowski and a goal from Dani Olmo.

Standings

Useful links

• Latest betting updates (US) | Latest betting updates (UK)
• Barcelona team page
• Athletic Bilbao  team page
• Football on TV in the UK
• Soccer on TV in the US