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FC Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao: Match Preview

By Nikhil Kulkarni

BILBAO, SPAIN - AUGUST 28: Ivan Rakitic (R) of FC Barcelona celebrates with his teammate Lionel Messi, Denis Suarez and Luis Suarez of FC Barcelona after scoring the opening goal during the La Liga match between Athletic Club Bilbao and FC Barcelona at San Mames Stadium on August 28, 2016 in Bilbao, Spain. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
BILBAO, SPAIN - AUGUST 28: Ivan Rakitic (R) of FC Barcelona celebrates with his teammate Lionel Messi, Denis Suarez and Luis Suarez of FC Barcelona after scoring the opening goal during the La Liga match between Athletic Club Bilbao and FC Barcelona at San Mames Stadium on August 28, 2016 in Bilbao, Spain. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images) /
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 Barcelona returned to winning ways after a controversial draw against Real Betis last week. They will hope to keep up pace with leaders at the top.

The La Liga race is still open at the halfway mark of the season given its unpredictable nature as we have seen last season.  This will be on minds of Barcelona players when they welcome Athletic Bilbao at Camp Nou. As Luis Enrique said it will be foolish to write off Catalan giant’s La Liga chances, we can expect for an entertaining game.

Speaking about the away side, they have been a familiar face for FCB as they are meeting for the 4th time this season. The side has been best known for its high pressing game which always causes FCB to struggle. The veterans like Aritz Aduriz and Raul Garcia with the youthful flair and speed of Inaki Williams and Iker Muniain know how to cause an upset. And causing the upset at this stage of the league will spoil the party for Catalans.

As the side with no injuries and suspensions, manager Ernesto Valverde is free to field up the strongest side. But they have managed just two wins from nine and they have lost over half of their matches away from San Mames. This might well sum up their away campaign this season with Barcelona looking strong in defense.

The home side will be hoping to continue their form and the zeal they had shown in the 1st half against Atletico to come up victorious in the game. The great news being the return of Sergio Busquets, Digne and midfield maestro Andres Iniesta to the training. With the likes of MSN upfront, Barcelona can beat any team and the win against Atletico has surely boosted their confidence.

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The defense looks pretty solid with Pique and Umtiti at center and Masche will start again to fill in for Sergio Busquets at CDM. Though Neymar has been struggling with his finishing, he will start as he has been suspended for the midweek game in CDR. Barcelona hasn’t lost in their last 8 competitive games and they boast the joint-best defensive home record in the division.

Nevertheless, this game will be a big opportunity for Catalans to make a statement in La Liga for the title race. Barcelona has a very busy schedule with the likes of Atletico in the 2nd leg of CDR semifinal at home and Champions league coming in next few days. This was on the mind of Luis Enrique during the press, as we can expect a bit of tinkering in the midfield and defense.

Next: Barca vs. Athletic Bilbao Preview

Lucho will try to rotate the squad as he seeks to give every player some rest and the minutes to keep them content. He might not risk playing Iniesta and Busquets but we still can expect a strong lineup. It should be a walk in the park for Barca at Camp Nou and I am backing myself for a 3-1 win for the home side.