Spanish La Liga---FC Barcelona VS Athletic Bilbao Prediction

FC Barcelona VS Athletic Bilbao    Livescore / H2H stats and Live Streaming
Time:22-11-2025 23:15 Saturday
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Barcelona will step out at Camp Nou for the first time in 909 days, having spent the entirety of the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys while undergoing a €1.5bn (£1.3bn) reconstruction project.

Progress on the renovation has been slower and more complicated than expected, and even now, the stadium only reopens with a restricted capacity of 45,000 seats, less than half of the expected 105,000 once the project is complete.

Hansi Flick’s side return home sitting second in the table on 28 points, three behind rivals Real Madrid.

With nine wins, one draw, and two losses, Barcelona have scored a league-high 32 goals but also conceded 15 - defensive inconsistency that continues to be a concern.

Despite missing Raphinha and several attacking figures for stretches of the season, Barcelona remain explosive in the final third - their attacking fluency should further improve as more players return to fitness. However, their issues at the back have been difficult to ignore.

Athletic Club, meanwhile, sit seventh in La Liga with five wins, two draws, and five defeats (17 points).

Ernesto Valverde’s men avoided a fourth straight loss last weekend when they edged Real Oviedo 1-0, but overall their league form has been inconsistent.

The Basque side have scored six goals in their last five matches, keeping just one clean sheet during that run.

They are also travelling without away fans, as Barcelona have informed Athletic that visiting supporters will not be permitted due to safety concerns.

With an eight-point gap separating them from the top four, Athletic know they cannot afford many more setbacks if they intend to push for European qualification.

Match Prediction: Barcelona 3-1 Athletic Bilbao
Barcelona’s emotional return to Camp Nou should create an intense atmosphere, and Flick’s men will be keen to mark the occasion with a statement performance.

Athletic have struggled for consistency and are missing key players, while Barca’s attacking firepower should be enough to secure all three points in front of their home crowd once again.