Two clubs in opposite halves of the Liga BBVA table will do battle today in a league match between Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona. The first-division clash scheduled for 3 p.m. ET will be held at San Memes Stadium in Bilbao and can be live streamed here free. Additional TV coverage can be found on beIN Sports.
What They're Saying
Athletic Bilbao manager Mikel Balenziaga (via Inside Spanish Football): "They [Barcelona] always have a lot of possession of the ball and their rivals always have to suffer defensively, particularly when they start playing through the middle."
Barcelona defender Jordi Alba (via Inside Spanish Football): "The key in the match could be to maintain the idea we've had throughout the season; have the ball, combine well. They're strong and it will be a tough match. We can't be careless because they're dangerous."
Tactical Preview
Player to Watch: Alba remains a liability defensively, but offers productivity on the offensive side of the ball. In 18 league appearances, the 25-year-old has one goal and two assists.
Athletic Bilbao's Projected Lineup (4-2-3-1): Iraizoz; Balenziaga, Laporte, Etxeita, Marcos; Rico, Jose; Muniain, Benat, Susaeta; Aduriz
Barcelona's Projected Lineup (4-3-3): Bravo; Alba, Mascherano, Pique, Alves; Iniesta, Busquets, Rakitic; Neymar, Suarez, Messi
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (lineups and statistics via WhoScored).
Standings
| Rnk | Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | +/- | Pts | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Madrid CF | 22 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 70 | 22 | 48 | 54 | |||
| 2 | FC Barcelona | 21 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 57 | 11 | 46 | 50 | |||
| 3 | Atlético Madrid | 22 | 16 | 2 | 4 | 47 | 20 | 27 | 50 | |||
| 4 | Sevilla FC | 21 | 13 | 3 | 5 | 35 | 24 | 11 | 42 | |||
| 5 | Valencia CF | 21 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 38 | 19 | 19 | 41 | |||
| 6 | Villarreal CF | 22 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 37 | 20 | 17 | 41 | |||
| 7 | Málaga CF | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 25 | 25 | 0 | 35 | |||
| 8 | Eibar | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 25 | 31 | -6 | 27 | |||
| 9 | RCD Espanyol | 21 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 27 | 32 | -5 | 26 | |||
| 10 | Celta de Vigo | 22 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 21 | 24 | -3 | 25 | |||
| 11 | Deportivo La Coruña | 22 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 20 | 34 | -14 | 24 | |||
| 12 | Real Sociedad | 22 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 22 | 29 | -7 | 23 | |||
| 13 | Athletic Club | 21 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 18 | 26 | -8 | 23 | |||
| 14 | Rayo Vallecano | 21 | 7 | 2 | 12 | 22 | 38 | -16 | 23 | |||
| 15 | Getafe CF | 21 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 29 | -13 | 20 | |||
| 16 | UD Almería | 21 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 18 | 33 | -15 | 19 | |||
| 17 | Levante UD | 22 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 17 | 38 | -21 | 19 | |||
| 18 | Córdoba CF | 21 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 31 | -15 | 18 | |||
| 19 | Granada CF | 22 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 35 | -21 | 18 | |||
| 20 | Elche CF | 21 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 18 | 42 | -24 | 17 |
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