What: Spanish La Liga
Who: Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona
When: Sunday 1st December, 2013, at 20:00 UK Time
Where: San Mames, Bilbao, Spain
Following Ajax
Still undefeated at the new San Mames, Ernesto Valverde will want his team to be the second one this week to upset Barcelona as he welcomes the league champions to the north. Boasting four wins from their last six league matches, Athletic Bilbao will want to win their first game against Barcelona in six attempts as they hope to be the first side to hand the Blaugrana a league loss this season.
Athletic Bilbao’s recent run has been good, as they managed 13 points in their last six league games. In front of their own fans, they have scored at least twice in six of their last seven games; fixtures that they did not taste defeat in.
Speaking ahead of the game, Valverde asserted his opponents’ toughness, but still stressed that the Basques will be hoping to win. “They are feared, they are champions, and have extraordinary numbers. We are enjoying good times, and we have confidence. It will be difficult, as they are a great team. We intend to win however.”
Athletic Bilbao have regularly succumbed against Barcelona in recent times, failing to win even once in the last six times they hosted them at their football cathedral.
Step Up Neymar
In midweek Champions League action, Gerardo Martino’s Barcelona suffered their first competitive defeat of the 2013/14 season by falling in Holland against Dutch champions Ajax. The Blaugrana are still very much in control of their group, but seem to have been destabilised by their long list of absentees. Facing another hard trip to the Basque country in order to play Athletic Bilbao, Martino will hope that his players will place their best foot forward at the San Mames.
The 2-1 scoreline between Ajax and Barcelona might have been close, but the setback against Ajax was without a doubt the Catalans’ worst display this term, with centre-back Gerard Pique labelling the game a “disaster”. “We played a horrible first half. There is no excuse, it was a disaster. What happened in the first half can't happen again. The attitude wasn't right, the whole team know that”, commented the former Manchester United man.
Speaking ahead of their upcoming game, Cesc Fabregas highlighted the importance of getting back to winning ways against the Basques. “It is a good place for us to demonstrate resilience and our winning mentality. We are a competitive team, we know we can lose and from now on we must depend on ourselves. In this match we have a lot to play for because we are leaders in the league and we are just a few points clear from second place and we want to win [the league]”.
Recent form
Athletic Bilbao:
Atletico Madrid 2-0 Athletic Bilbao (03/11; La Liga)
Athletic Bilbao 2-1 Levante (09/11; La Liga)
Malaga 1-2 Athletic Bilbao (25/11; La Liga)
Barcelona:
Real Betis 1-4 Barcelona (10/11; La Liga)
Barcelona 4-0 Granada (23/11; La Liga)
Ajax 2-1 Barcelona (26/11; Champions League)
Key absences
Athletic Bilbao: Kike Sola; Aritz Aduriz (suspended)
Barcelona: Adriano (doubt); Daniel Alves (doubt); Victor Valdes; Lionel Messi; Cristian Tello; Jonathan dos Santos; Jordi Alba; Ibrahim Afellay
Players to watch
Athletic Bilbao – Benat: The former Real Betis man was amongst La Liga’s best player last season as he was undoubtedly Los Verdiblancos’ star turn. With three assists to his name so far, he will be looking to impress even more against Barcelona.
Barcelona – Neymar: Against Ajax, the Brazilian was amongst Barcelona’s best players, despite failing to find the net. Realising that Messi’s absence will add more pressure on him, he will have to improve his game even further.
Match Prediction
The loss to Ajax came as a wake-up call for the Catalans, who must now face tough adversaries. Athletic Bilbao will be hoping to surprise Martino’s men, but it is likely that they will only be able to collect a draw when the two meet.
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