La Liga: Barcelona vs Athletic Club Preview & Odds
Historic Clubs Meet for First Time in 2023-24
Barça Last Remaining Unbeaten Team in La Liga
Barcelona has played 11 games this season, in all competitions, and remains unbeaten. They’re the last remaining unbeaten team in La Liga, but longtime rivals Athletic Club will look to change that come Sunday. Athletic Club and Barcelona have played in every single season of La Liga, but FCB has dominated this fixture as of late. Still, Bilbao has started the season well, with a 5-2-2 record. We’ll see what Barcelona’s chances are to remain unbeaten in our Barcelona vs Athletic Club preview.
Barcelona vs Athletic Club
Day/Time: Location: Estadio Olímpico Lluís Companys, Barcelona, Spain
Head-to-Head:
Last season, Barcelona was a good pick for soccer betting in this fixture, with two wins in two. Four different Barça players got on the scoresheet at home in the 4-0 win. Barcelona also managed to get a 1-0 result on the road as Raphinha scored the winner. FCB has won the last four La Liga home meetings and is unbeaten in the previous seven matchups in La Liga overall.
Barcelona Limp into Weekend
Barcelona conceded in the first minute of their match at Granada a couple of weeks ago. Granada’s Bryan Zaragoza slotted home past Marc-Andre ter Stegen 20 seconds in. He doubled Granada’s lead as he beat Jules Kounde with ease. FCB pulled a goal back as 16-year-old Lamine Yamal scored his first-ever league goal. Sergi Roberto scored the equalizer in the second half, and Barcelona came away with a draw.
Barcelona have drawn three of their first nine matches this season and are currently in third place in the Spanish La Liga standings. Barcelona vs Athletic Club previews also note that Barça are a perfect 4-0 at home in La Liga this season. However, Xavi has a lot of injuries to contend with this weekend as he looks to pick a strong side. Reigning Golden Boot winner Robert Lewandowski leads the team with five goals and three assists, but he’s a significant doubt on Sunday.
Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, and Raphinha are also in the same category. Meanwhile, bettors can expect Sergi Roberto and Jules Kounde to be out for this one. Lewandowski also missed the match vs. Granada and Xavi opted to play Ferran Torres up front and Joao Felix on the left wing.
Bilbao Lead League in Clean Sheets
Athletic Club’s Unai Simon leads La Liga heading into Matchday 10 with five clean sheets in nine games. Simon, as Spain’s number one keeper, also kept clean sheets vs. Scotland and Norway during the international break to help La Roja qualify for Euro 2024. Athletic Bilbao has been one of the best La Liga teams up to this point, and their last match finished in a 3-0 win.
Gorka Guruzeta, Dani Garcia, and Oihan Sancet all got on the scoresheet as Bilbao took all three points from Almeria. With the result, they improved to 5-2-2 on the season and are just two points behind fourth-placed Atletico Madrid. Guruzeta and Iñaki Williams have both scored four goals for the Basque club in La Liga so far.
Heading into Sunday’s match, Athletic Club have scored at least two goals in four of their last five games. Plus, only three teams have conceded fewer goals than them so far this season. Athletic Club coach Ernesto Valverde coached Barcelona from 2017-2020, and he’s looking for his first win over them since his current spell in Bilbao started. It looks like he won’t be able to call on Mikel Vesga, Yeray Alvarez, or Mikel Vesga for this one.
Match Analysis & Odds
Barcelona come into this match as -150 favorites, which translates to a 60 percent implied chance of victory. FCB defeated Bilbao twice in the league last season, and Athletic Club haven’t won a league match at Barcelona since 2001. Barcelona vs Athletic Club previews also note that Barça have averaged three goals in their last three games of this fixture.
Bettors can take Barcelona -1 at +115 odds and Athletic Club +1 at -135. With how poor Bilbao’s road form at Barcelona has been over the last few decades, I’d be cautious taking them at +375 odds. They do have a strong team this season, and Barcelona has some key players injured, but FCB should still be able to snag at least a point here.
Another option on the odds board is a draw at +300. However, only one of the last eight La Liga matchups has finished level. Goals are expected here, as Barcelona has both scored and conceded twice in three of their previous four games. Over 2.5 goals sit at -135 odds for what should be an entertaining match.
For La Liga betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
