Bilbao Under Pressure to Perform

After a disappointing start to the new La Liga season last weekend, Athletic Bilbao are up against it, as they host champions, Barcelona.

Athletic Bilbao started the new campaign with an away match at Sporting Gijon and were expecting to get off to a good start, against a team which finished 17^th in the table last season. Gijon opened the scoring from a corner in the 50^th minute and doubled their lead just three minutes later. Substitute, Borja Viguera, got one back for Bilbao late in the game but it wasn’t enough and Gijon took the points.

Barcelona had no problem despatching Real Betis at the Camp Nou and they did so in emphatic fashion. Arda Turan opened the scoring after just 6 minutes but Ruben Castro equalised for the visitors. Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez turned up the heat and both scored goals, to make it 3-1 at the interval. Two more goals from Suarez, to seal his hat-trick and another from Messi, put Barcelona out of sight before Ruben Castro netted a late consolation goal for Betis, to make it 6-2.

LEAGUE: Spanish La Liga

GAME: Athletic club Bilbao vs Barcelona

LOCATION: New San Mames

DATE: Sunday 28/8

TIME: 20:15

REFEREE:

In 57 games between the teams, Barcelona have recorded 37 wins, with 12 games finishing in a draw. Athletic Bilbao have won only 8 times.

Tips

We have looked closely at the following aspects of this match, which offer good betting value:

• Match Result and Both Teams to Score
• Match Result and Over 3.5 Goals
• Winning Margin

History Suggests Goals for Both Teams

Barcelona are clearly the better team out of the two and have a very strong record against Athletic Bilbao, as they do the majority of clubs in La Liga. However, when Barcelona have arrived at the San Mames, the home team have regularly found the back of the net, only failing to do so once in the last 8 meetings. Barcelona should win the match but expect Bilbao to trouble them at the back.

Game Tip: Barcelona to Win and Both Teams to Score is 2.75 at Ladbrokes

Messi and Suarez on Form

Having netted a double and hat-trick respectively on the opening day of the season, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez look hungry for goals again this season. With Neymar missing, due to the Olympic Games, there is a bit of extra pressure for the pair to deliver and they will be relishing it. They may not have space they received against Betis but expect Barcelona to score a few goals in this game. Bilbao will also fancy their chances of scoring their first home goal of the season.

Game Tip: Barcelona to Win and Over 3.5 Goals is 3.15 at Bet365

Comfortable for Barcelona

In previous meetings between the teams at the San Mames, there have been some closely fought games, such as the 1-0 victory to Barcelona last season and others which have seen comfortable wins for the visitors, such as the 5-2 victory of the season before. Expect this one to fall somewhere between the two, with Barcelona coming out on top, fairly comfortably but not by a huge margin.

Game Tip: Barcelona to Win by 2 Goals is 4.33 at Bet365