Barcelona hope to secure the second title of a potential treble on Saturday when they welcome Athletic Bilbao to the Camp Nou for the Copa del Rey final. They may still have a Champions League final on the horizon, but for the moment Luis Enrique’s La Liga champions will have to shift their attention to this match against an undoubtedly tricky opponent.
Barcelona vs. Athletic Bilbao, Copa del Rey 2015: Time, TV schedule and team news
Athletic Bilbao will look to cause an upset and lift the cup for the first time in over three decades.
Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images
Barça have beaten Athletic on both of their meetings in the league this season, but write the Basque side off at your peril. They haven’t scored many goals, but Ernesto Valverde’s side are well-disciplined at the back. They could also have a sprinkling of extra motivation, having won this tournament an impressive 23 times (that’s more than Real Madrid), yet not since 1984. It should be an intriguing encounter.
Key player -- Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Bilbao)
More obvious players to watch would, of course, be Lionel Messi, Neymar or Luis Suárez, but this match will hinge on how well Athletic manage to keep those players quiet. In this regard, much responsibility will fall on the shoulders of Athletic's young center-back Aymeric Laporte, who has been linked with some of Europe's biggest clubs over the last few months. If he can impress under the spotlight in this final, the phone may start ringing once more.
Key matchup -- Athletic's counter-attack vs. Barcelona's defense
If you're going to beat Barça, you're going to need a good counter-attack. It's simply not going to be enough to stand off for 90 minutes and hope for a slice of luck: they're eventually going to break you down. This is where the absence of pacey winger Iker Muniain will hit Athletic hard, and their counter-attacking quality certainly dips in his absence. Fortunately young winger Iñaki Williams looks an impressive talent, and he could well find some joy in behind Dani Alves in this game.
Barcelona injuries and suspensions
Out: None. In doubt: Luis Suárez (hamstring).
Athletic Bilbao injuries and suspensions
Out: Iker Muniain (knee), Ander Iturraspe (leg muscle), Óscar De Marcos (suspended). In doubt: None.
Barcelona should have Luis Suárez back from a slight hamstring scare, but otherwise they should have a full-strength team available. Unfortunately Athletic aren’t in quite such a salubrious state, with two key first-teamers out injured in Iker Muniain and Ander Iturraspe, and Óscar De Marcos suspended.
Match Date/Time: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, 9:30 p.m. local
Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona
TV: ESPN2 (U.S. -- English), ESPN Deportes (U.S.-- Spanish), Sky Sports 5/HD (U.K.), Movistar TV Fútbol, TV3, TeleCinco Espana (Spain)
Online: WatchESPN (U.S.), Sky Go (U.K.)
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