It's been a long time since Athletic Bilbao defeated Barcelona at the Camp Nou -- 13 years to be exact -- and on Saturday they'll get another shot at breaking that streak. Luis Enrique will be hoping for a strong performance from his side as they look to stay perfect on the young season. He'll probably be hoping they manage to stay healthy as well with the Champions League group stages looming.
Barcelona vs. Athletic Bilbao live stream: How to watch La Liga online, TV schedule and more
Luis Enrique’s side will look to continue their perfect start to the season as they welcome Athletic Club to the Camp Nou
Manuel Queimadelos Alonso
Key Player: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
This mention of Barcelona's wonder striker is really less about how important he is to Barca -- everyone already knows that -- and more about what he could accomplish this weekend from a records standpoint. The Argentine striker is two goals away from hitting the 400 mark for his career, which is of course an astronomical total in the modern era. Despite the fact that Messi has been able to play more games than players from the past, defenses and overall talent levels are far higher. If he can break down Athletic's tough defense on Saturday, he'll have yet another milestone attached to his name.
Key Matchup: Athletic Club’s defense vs. The Inevitable Onslaught
The problem facing most Spanish teams when they face Barcelona is whether or not to bunker defensively. Thanks to Barca’s talent in the attack, it’s a risky proposition to try and play the Blaugrana in anything other that a formation that’s backloaded with defense. Typically coaches will just sit back and tell their team to counter attack selectively, hoping that they can hold their formation together and close down the passing lines over the course of 90 minutes. Athletic Club will likely do this at the Camp Nou and the game will come down to whether or not they’re able to frustrate Barca’s attack and survive the chances that Messi and company will still find a way to create.
Barcelona injuries and suspensions
In Doubt: Jeremy Mathieu (ankle), Andrés Iniesta (knee)
Athletic Bilbao injuries and suspensions
In Doubt: Kike Sola (muscle)
Barcelona managed to get through the international break mostly unscathed, with defender Jeremy Mathieu being their main injury concern with an ankle injury. It's highly doubtful he'll play, but with Javier Mascherano returning from suspension and Thomas Vermaelen training, Enrique has several options on the back line. Midfielder Andrés Iniesta is back in training as well, but he might be held back with Champions League play set to start soon.
Match Date/Time: Saturday, 4:00 p.m. local, 10:00 a.m. ET
Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
TV: beIN Sports, beIN Sports en Español (U.S.), Sky Sports 5/HD (U.K.), beIN Sports (Canada), Canal+ Liga/HD (Spain)
Online: beIN Sports CONNECT (U.S.), Sky Go (U.K.), beIN Sports CONNECT (Canada), Gol Stadium (Spain)
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