Barcelona vs Athletic Club - La Liga: TV channel, team news, lineups and prediction
- Barcelona return to La Liga action on Sunday night
- Xavi's side hunting down league leaders Real Madrid but have a number of injuries
- Athletic Club are fifth and can move within a point of Barca with a win
Barcelona host Athletic Club on Sunday night hoping for the chance to reduce the gap on current La Liga leaders Real Madrid.
Xavi's side have dropped three points off the early pace set by Madrid after draws with Mallorca and Granada before the October international break and need a league win here before El Clasico at the end of the month.
They face Athletic Club, who have been largely solid with five wins, two draws and two defeats in their first nine games.
Here's what you need to know about the game on Sunday.
What time does Barcelona vs Athletic Club kick-off?
- Location: Barcelona, Spain
- Stadium: Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys
- Date: Sunday 22 October
- Kick-off Time: 20:00 BST / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT
- Referee: Juan Martínez Munuera
Barcelona vs Athletic Club H2H Record (Last Five Games)
- Barcelona: 3 wins
- Athletic Club: 1 win
- Draws: 1
Current form (all competitions)
- Barcelona: WDWWD
- Athletic Club: WWDLW
How to watch Barcelona vs Athletic Club on TV and live stream
Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | LaLigaTV, Viaplay UK, Viaplay Sports 1, ITV 4, ITVX, |
United States | ESPN, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes |
Canada | TSN+, TSN2 |
Barcelona confirmed team news
(4-3-3): Ter Stegen; Cancelo, Christensen, Martinez, Balde; Gavi, Romeu, Gundogan; Fermin, Feran, Felix.
Athletic Club team news
Nico Williams, younger brother of Athletic stalwart Inaki, is racing to be fit in time for Sunday evening's fixture as he targets a first La Liga goal of the season.
Defender Yeray Alvarez is out injured again with a leg problem and will be sidelined for a few months, while Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta, Oscar De Marcos and Mikel Vesga are also unavailable to manager Ernesto Valverde.
Athletic Club predicted lineup vs Barcelona
Athletic Club predicted lineup vs Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Simon; Lekue, Parades, Vivian, Berchiche; Herrera, Garcia; I. Williams, Munian, N. Williams; Guruzeta.
Barcelona vs Athletic Club score prediction
Barcelona know few slip-ups can be afforded before the next international break in November as they hunt down La Liga leaders Real Madrid and Girona, who sit second.
Their head-to-head record with Athletic Club is favourable, winning the last three league meetings without conceding a goal. However, their attacking threat has been reduced somewhat by the injury suffered by Lewandowski.
There will be an onus on the likes of Joao Felix and Ferran Torres in attack to earn Barca victory over the Bilbao side who sit fifth, four points behind before kick-off. In a low-scoring affair, Xavi's side may squeak over the line.
Prediction: Barcelona 1-0 Athletic Club
READ THE LATEST LA LIGA NEWS, RUMOURS & GOSSIP
feed