Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona
Spain – LaLiga
Date: weekday, sixteen August 2019
Kick-off at 20:00 UK/ 21:00 CET
Venue: Estadio San Mames (Bilbao).
After delivering eight league titles from the last eleven campaigns, Barcelona has placed themselves because theundisputed Spanish champions. however this point around, they can’t expect to travel into cruise mode and elevate the title at the top.
Both Madrid outfits area unit determined to gift robust competition for the crown and have displayed this intent within the transfer window. The arrivals of some really precocious kids and also the presence of seasoned veterans may extremely block the trail for the Blaugrana.
Still, the present champions have created some potent signings of their own, and if rumors area unit to believed, Neymar Jnr may probably build a come back to Spain. Fans area unit sure excited, and also the team maycomplement it with a win.
While the injury to Messi may play party pooper, the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann, Luis Suarez, etc may simply cowl the void.
The challenge that awaits them is large, as they trip San Mames for the season opener. Bilbao includes a tendency to deliver upsets to heavyweights, and that they may directly deliver one to their former manager Ernesto Valverde.
Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona Head-to-head 
Barca recorded the last four wins.
Bilbao has scored simply one goal from the last 5 matches combined.
15 of the last nineteen wins at this venue visited the guests.
Four of the last six clashes at this structure saw the guests keeping a clean sheet.
Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona Prediction
Despite the absence of Lionel Messi, the Catalans have over enough quality in their list to subsume this challenge. Moreover, with the approaching arrival of Neymar, it’d aid for several players to place forth some fantastic performances, which might facilitate them to keep their place within the beginning eleven.
Also, in h2h encounters, Barcelona has recorded the last four wins and conceded simply one goal from the last 5 fixtures combined. additionally, at this venue, they unbroken clean sheets in four of the last six games and registered fifteen of the last nineteen wins.
In addition, within the last eighteen years, Athletic has registered simply 2 league wins against this opponent, and there looks nothing to expect otherwise because the 2019-20 La Liga kicks off, too.
Count on a triumph by the ruling champions, and expect some clap-worthy moments from Ousmane Dembele.