Barcelona vs Athletic Club Prediction, Lineups, Injuries, and Team News

The reigning champions, FC Barcelona, will host Athletic Club at the Montjuic Stadium on matchday 13 of the La Liga 2025/26 season, on 22nd November 2025. The two teams have had very contrasting starts to the season, with Barcelona sitting second, behind Real Madrid, while Athletic Club are currently out of contention for playing in Europe for the next season. The encounters between these two teams have always been quite electric, as neither of the two sides takes their foot off the gas until the match is completely done and dusted. Ahead of the exciting clash on Saturday, Sportsdunia brings to you the Barcelona vs Athletic Club prediction.

Barcelona vs Athletic Club Preview

FC Barcelona sit second in the table with 28 points, just three behind Los Blancos, who dropped points against Rayo Vallecano last time out. They will be hoping to close the gap with a win to keep the pressure on their rivals going forward into the season. The Blaugranas have scored a total of 32 goals, which is the highest for a team this season as of now. However, they have also conceded a total of 15 goals already, highlighting their defensive vulnerabilities.

The high line adopted by Hansi Flick last season seems to hurt them a bit this time around, as either the defenders are slow to react or other players and managers have found out the loopholes where they can hurt Barca the most. After a few disappointing defeats, this season both in the league and the Champions League, they came back just in time to smash Celta Vigo by a scoreline of 4-0 in their last game.

Meanwhile, Athletic Club are placed 7th in the table with 17 points in 12 games. They have lost as many games as they have won (5) and have managed to draw two. They have a goal difference of -1, which means that most of the points dropped by them are due to inaccuracies in defensive structures. The Los Leones have been quite inconsistent in their outings recently, but managed a scrappy 1-0 win over Real Oviedo through a super goal from Nico Williams. The last match between the two teams ended in a 3-0 win for Barcelona at the San Mames, putting the icing on the cake of Barcelona's league title win last season.

Barcelona vs Athletic Club Match Info

Here is the important match info that you need to know in the Barcelona vs Athletic Club preview.

Match Name: Barcelona vs Athletic Club, La Liga

Stadium Name: Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium/Montjuic Stadium

Kick-Off Time: 3:15 PM GMT

Fans in the UK can catch all the live action of the match on Disney+ and Premier Sports, while viewers in the USA can tune into ESPN+ for the live coverage. In India, FanCode will stream the match live.

Barcelona Team News

Barcelona will have some notable absentees in the form of Pedri, Gavi, and ter Stegen, but will be boosted by the return of the likes of Raphinha and Joan Garcia. Raphinha was expected to return for the El Clásico just in time, but an unfortunate relapse in the last minute halted his involvement with the team. The Brazilian is now up and running, but it will be interesting to see if he starts straight away or comes off the bench in the second half. Szczesny is expected to start in goal despite Joan Garcia attaining full fitness. Hansi Flick will want to give the Spaniard some more time ahead of the all-important game against Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League.

The Blaugranas do have some problems in the midfield area, as Frenkie de Jong will also miss this game due to a red card suspension he received in Barca's last match against Celta Vigo. Marc Bernal is expected to take his place in the heart of the midfield. Marc Casado picked up a groin injury in the same match but is expected to return to action in this match. However, it is to be seen how many minutes he gets from Flick following his return from injury.

Barcelona Expected Lineup (4-3-3):

Here is the expected lineup of Barcelona in the Barcelona vs Athletic Club predicted lineups.

Goalkeeper: Szczesny

Defenders: Garcia, Araujo, Cubarsi, Balde

Midfielders: Fermin, Bernal, Olmo

Forwards: Yamal, Lewandowski, Rashford

Athletic Club Team News

Athletic Club are expected to start Gorka Guruzeta up front with Inaki Williams sitting out this clash due to a muscle injury. Sancet will return for the clash just in time after sustaining a minor leg injury. Unai Simon was spotted limping after Spain's match vs Georgia and is a doubt for this clash. Alex Padilla should start in his place if Simon doesn't manage to recover in time.

Athletic Club Expected Lineup (4-2-3-1):

Here is the expected lineup of Athletic Club in the Barcelona vs Athletic Club predicted lineups.

Goalkeeper: Padilla

Defenders: Gorosabel, Vivian, Laporte, Berchiche

Midfielders: de Gallareta, Jauregizar, Berenguer, Sancet, Williams

Forwards: Guruzeta

Barcelona vs Athletic Club Injuries

Here are the updates about the injury situation of both teams in the Barcelona vs Athletic Club preview. Barcelona will have to do without the likes of Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Pedri, and Gavi for this match.

Athletic Club will also miss the services of Inaki Williams, Unai Egiluz, Benat Prados, and Maroan Sannadi due to their respective injuries.

Sportsdunia's Barcelona vs Athletic Club Prediction

Let's have a look at the Barcelona vs Athletic Club prediction. We expect a 3-1 win for FC Barcelona at home, with goals coming from Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, and Dani Olmo each. For Athletic Club, Nico Williams will be the only one on the scoresheet. For more exciting details of the match, like the Barcelona vs Athletic Club prediction, keep following Sportsdunia!

Barcelona vs Athletic Club Prediction: 3-1