Barcelona host Athletic Club in La Liga: Preview, predicted lineups
Kevin Hand
Barcelona aim for a second consecutive La Liga win as they host Athletic Club at Camp Nou. The visitors are still seeking their first points after a loss to Sevilla. Opta gives Barcelona a 66% chance of victory.
Barcelona will play their second match of the 2026/27 La Liga season when they welcome Athletic Club to Camp Nou at 21:00 local time on August 27 (19:00 GMT). This is a chance for Hansi Flick's side to secure back-to-back victories and continue their title defense.
The hosts are in high spirits after thrashing Elche 5-0 in the opening round, with new signing Anthony Gordon providing two assists and Karim Adeyemi scoring on his debut. Athletic Club, meanwhile, had a poor start to the season, losing 1-3 to Sevilla at home.
Barcelona pursue Julian Alvarez
Ahead of the match, coach Hansi Flick said Barcelona might not sign another striker in the summer transfer window unless they can convince Atletico Madrid to sell Julian Alvarez. President Joan Laporta insisted the club still hopes to secure the Argentine forward's signature.
"I don't want to talk about Julian. I only want to talk about the club's situation. We have made some good signings this window," Flick said. "Our goals are clear, but the club must also think about the future, not just the present."
Laporta revealed Barcelona made an offer to Atletico in July and have not changed it. He said there are reports that Atletico have been in talks with other clubs about a possible sale of Alvarez, and if the forward leaves the Spanish capital, Barcelona want him at Camp Nou. Arsenal are also said to be interested, while Real Madrid made an offer earlier in the summer.
Predicted lineups
Barcelona: Garcia; Espart, Cubarsi, Garcia, Martin; Bernal, Pedri; Yamal, Lopez, Raphinha, Adeyemi.
Athletic Club: Simon; Boiro, Paredes, Alvarez, Areso; Canales, Gerenabarrena; Berenguer, Sancet, N. Williams; Guruzeta.
Team news
Barcelona are still without Frenkie de Jong and Roony Bardghji due to long-term knee injuries. Gavi has a similar issue and his availability remains uncertain. Rodri is not yet at full fitness.
For Athletic Club, defender Yuri Berchiche is suspended after a red card in the match against Sevilla. Daniel Vivian, Unai Eguiluz, and Nico Serrano are all out injured.
Head-to-head record
The two teams have met 249 times, with Barcelona winning 128 and Athletic winning 81. The Basque side have not beaten Barcelona in La Liga since August 2019, when they won 1-0 thanks to a goal from Aritz Aduriz.
In the most recent La Liga meeting last season, Barcelona won 1-0 away with a goal from Lamine Yamal. In the corresponding fixture last season, Barcelona won 4-0 at Camp Nou.
Prediction
Opta's supercomputer gives Barcelona a 66% chance of winning, while Athletic Club have only a 15% chance of taking all three points.
