Barça Welcomes Bilbao, Aiming to Maintain Early Season Momentum

On Thursday, August 27th, Barcelona hosts Athletic Bilbao at Spotify Camp Nou in a rescheduled match from the first round of Spain's La Liga. The Catalans kicked off their season impressively, thrashing Elche 5-0 away last Sunday. Meanwhile, the Basque side, led by Edin Terzic, suffered a 1-3 home defeat to Sevilla and sat 19th in the standings before this clash.

This will be the Catalans' first home game of the season. Frenkie de Jong and Roony Bardghji are sidelined due to injuries. Joan Garcia is expected to start in goal for Barcelona, while manager Hansi Flick is likely to deploy Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Karim Adeyemi, and Fermín López in attack.

For Athletic Bilbao, issues stem from Yuri Berchiche's suspension and injuries to Daniel Vivian and Unai Egiluz. Unai Simón will start in goal, and Edin Terzic is set to feature Iñaki Williams, Álex Berenguer, Oihan Sancet, and Gorka Guruzeta upfront, with Nico Williams remaining among the substitutes.

The historical head-to-head record between the two teams favors Barcelona. In 246 official encounters, the Catalans boast 127 victories compared to Athletic Bilbao's 79, with 40 draws. In La Liga specifically, the two giants have met 190 times, with Barcelona securing 98 wins. At Spotify Camp Nou, Barcelona's record stands at 84 victories in 118 matches.

The last meeting between the two sides in March 2026 ended in a 1-0 victory for Barcelona, with the Catalans having won their last five matches against the Basque club across all competitions.