Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the La Liga match.
Following their hard-fought victory over Valencia (2:1), Barcelona unexpectedly decided to say goodbye to İlkay Gündoğan. The German is unlikely to take part in another official match under manager Hansi Flick: Manchester City is set to announce his return ahead of their game against Athletic Club.
Barcelona
At the Mestalla, Barcelona played an energetic debut match under their new coach, scoring twice around the half-time break. The team created a notable 2.75 xG from 18 shots—a solid statistic, although it's worth noting the decline in Valencia’s squad quality. Even with Dani Olmo slated for the second round, Flick will still have a hole in the defensive midfield. Mark Bernal and Marc Casadó cannot replace the injured main midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Pablo Gavira, while Pedri González is still only available from the bench.
Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Club started the new La Liga campaign with a home match against Getafe, almost securing a win (1:1). True to Ernesto Valverde’s style, the Basque side dominated possession (69-31) and created 0.72 xG from four shots on target. In Catalonia, Nico Williams will be keen to make an impact: Barcelona had been pursuing him, but the winger chose to stay in Bilbao, where he's capable of achieving 10+10 over a season.
Barcelona - Athletic Bilbao Prediction
In the first round, Athletic Club were without two of their primary goalkeepers and veteran Óscar de Marcos. Barcelona will inevitably get many chances up front, but their opponent will respond with counter-attacks.
