Barcelona vs Athletic Club

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Barcelona, the reigning La Liga champions, are aiming to bounce back to winning form in Spain's premier league as they host Athletic Bilbao at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Sunday night.

The Catalan team currently sits in third place in the La Liga standings, having accumulated 21 points from their first nine matches this season. Athletic Bilbao is in fifth place with 19 points from their initial nine games in the 2023-24 season.

Barcelona has secured six victories and three draws in their nine La Liga matches so far, amassing a total of 21 points. This places them in the third position, trailing the league leaders Real Madrid by three points.

Furthermore, Barcelona has triumphed in their first two Champions League group-stage matches, defeating Royal Antwerp 5-0 and clinching a 1-0 win over Porto. This positions them favorably for their upcoming home game against Shakhtar Donetsk on October 25.

In their most recent La Liga match before the international break, Barcelona had a 2-2 draw against Granada. In that game, they were actually trailing by two goals before Lamine Yamal and Sergi Roberto found the back of the net. Despite remaining undefeated in all competitions this season, it was seen as dropping two points rather than gaining one.

In their last match at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona emerged as 1-0 victors against Sevilla. They are determined to secure another victory this weekend before the highly-anticipated El Clasico match at home against Real Madrid on October 28.

Barcelona has emerged victorious in each of their last three La Liga encounters with Athletic Bilbao. They have maintained an unbeaten record against the Basque side in Spain's top flight since August 2019.

While Xavi, the Barcelona manager, may have some concerns about the draws with Getafe, Mallorca, and Granada this season, the overall start has been positive as the team aims to compete on multiple fronts in the 2023-24 season.

Meanwhile, Athletic Bilbao has displayed a mixed performance in the current season's nine league matches, securing five wins, two draws, and suffering two losses, resulting in a total of 17 points and positioning them in fifth place in the league standings.

Their season hit a low point in the Basque derby on September 30 when they endured a 3-0 defeat against Real Sociedad. However, they made an impressive comeback, defeating Almeria 3-0 just before the international break.

Ernesto Valverde's team is only four points behind the third-placed Granada and has accumulated seven points from their four away games this season, instilling confidence as they prepare to face the league leaders in the upcoming weekend.

In their recent campaigns, Athletic Bilbao finished eighth in the league for two consecutive seasons, but they secured the fourth position in 2013-14 and the fifth in 2015-16. This indicates that they are well within contention for a European spot this season.

In La Liga, Inaki Williams and Gorka Guruzeta have both scored four goals each. Additionally, Nico Williams, who has been linked with a move away from the club, leads the league in assists with four. Unfortunately, Nico Williams will be unavailable this weekend due to a back issue.

Barcelona is currently dealing with a significant number of injuries. Nonetheless, Xavi stated in his pre-match press conference that Lamine Yamal and Alejandro Balde would be available for selection after recovering from their fitness issues.

Several key players, including Sergi Roberto, Jules Kounde, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Frenkie de Jong, and Pedri, are still sidelined. However, it is anticipated that some of them will make their returns over the next week.

In the La Liga rankings, Athletic Bilbao is now in fifth place and has performed admirably so far this year. Before the international break, the Basque team easily defeated Almeria by a score of 3-0, so they can look forward to this match with confidence.

Barcelona, on the other hand, is now in third position in the league standings and has played inconsistently this year. The Blaugrana will need to improve this weekend after being held to a disappointing 2-2 stalemate by Granada in their previous match.

Unai Simon will be in goal as Ernesto Valverde is anticipated to continue with the 4-2-3-1 configuration. The fullbacks for this game will be Oscar de Marcos and Yuri Berchiche. Aitor Paredes and Dani Vivian will form the defensive core.

The difficult challenge of thwarting a star-studded attack will fall to the back line. However, they will be supported by Ander Herrera and Dani Garca, who will team up in the park's middle. The pair will serve as the double pivot in front of the defense, and they are anticipated to play a significant defensive role in this particular match.

Barcelona remains undefeated in the 2023/24 season and aims to extend their unbeaten streak when they take on Athletic Club. The Catalan giants have participated in 11 matches across various competitions, emerging victorious in eight of them. On the other hand, the visiting team has played a total of nine games and secured victory in five of those.

Despite their undefeated status in the league, Barcelona currently holds the third position in the points table, trailing league leaders Real Madrid by three points. They have had three draws in their first nine games, a point of improvement for Xavi.

Their most recent outing, a disappointing 2-2 draw against Granada just before the international break, was a letdown despite a strong performance. They are determined to deliver a better performance this time.

Athletic Club currently occupies the fifth spot in the points table, having earned 17 points in their nine matches. Apart from their two defeats, they have been performing well overall. Ernesto Valverde has had a successful season, but facing Barcelona presents a challenging test for his team.

Their previous match, a comfortable 3-0 victory over Almeria, showcased their dominance in ball possession and chance creation. However, they anticipate a different scenario against Barcelona, where they may have less possession and need to focus on counterattacking.

Since relocating to Barcelona, Felix has somewhat renewed his career. And lately, he has done miracles for both club and nation. The 23-year-old international player is in excellent form and might make the difference between the two sides.

The Portuguese international has played in eight games and contributed to six goals in his eight appearances for his team this season. He has made a stunning impact, and people anticipate him to perform similarly.

Barcelona and Athletic Club have played each other 65 times in that span, with the home team winning 42 of those games while the away squad has only ten victories. In their last seven league encounters with foreign teams, the Catalan giants are unbeaten. Against Athletic Club, Barcelona has accrued 55 points in their last 19 home games. In their last 51 games against Xavi's club, the visitors have only managed to keep a clean sheet three times. The past three times these two teams played each other, the home team prevailed.

Unai Simon will be in goal as Ernesto Valverde is anticipated to continue with the 4-2-3-1 configuration. The fullbacks for this game will be Oscar de Marcos and Yuri Berchiche. Aitor Paredes and Dani Vivian will form the defensive core.

The difficult challenge of thwarting a star-studded attack will fall to the back line. However, they will be supported by Ander Herrera and Dani Garca, who will team up in the park's middle. The pair will serve as the double pivot in front of the defense, and they are anticipated to play a significant defensive role in this particular match.