Barcelona v Athletic - Preview and possible lineups

TEAM NEWS

Barcelona: Valverde has, more or less, a complete squad to choose from, with Lenglet back from suspension and Jordi Alba and Luis Suárez well-rested after Barcelona's defeat to Leganés on Wednesday. Both are expected to return to the starting eleven this weekend. 

Athletic: Talismanic striker Aritz Aduriz is a doubt for the match, having not featured for 'Los Leones' since picking up a muscle injury on the opening day. 

Ernesto Valverde (Barça manager):  "It will be an intense match. Athletic are a team with a great will and will come looking for us. One of the keys of the game will be to overcome the high pressure of Athletic, they have a lot of personality and always want to dominate the game with the possession of the ball. My team have always had an extraordinary attitude. Whenever we have conceded a goal, we’ve reacted. It's true that we have to improve, even when we win games."

Eduardo Berizzo (Athletic manager): "The team is well and recovered although we come from a match that left us a bitter feeling. The team is annoyed. When you lose you need a new match to find the line. The other day the mistake was to open the match too much. It is Barcelona, a team full of great players and a great coach, too. For us, it is a maximum test. They make you feel their quality, hopefully the stages of the fixture where we have to defend are not too long."

FORM

DID YOU KNOW?

Aritz Aduriz was the last Athletic player to score at the Camp Nou against Barcelona in La Liga, back in 2014. 

BESOCCER SCORE PREDICTION: 2-0 Barça

POSSIBLE LINEUPS

Barcelona: Ter Stegen, Sergi Roberto, Piqué, Umtiti, Jordi Alba, Busquets, Rakitic, Coutinho, Messi, Suárez, Dembélé.

Athletic: Simón, De Marcos, Álvarez, Martínez, Berchiche, Dani García, Beñat, Susaeta, Raúl García, Muniain, Williams.