Super quick thread starter as we play again in less than 4 hours, same time of day as the last games, the late La Liga match if you will. We're at home: We get Umtiti back from suspension, but Roberto and de Jong are still out injured (Dembele remains both injured and ineligible for Liga play this season). So we have 16 first teamers, joined by 8 B teamers, and I think 1 must go to the stands to make the 23 man squad, Inaki Pena most likely. Chumi is replaced by Cuenca (CB for CB), Dani Morer (RB) replaces Kike Saverio (LW, some RW); and the regular 6 B teamers are there. From the club's site: Now in their second season under Gaizka Garitano, this is the team that knocked Barça out of the Copa del Rey in February, a Sergio Busquets own goal deciding the one-legged quarter final in the final seconds of injury time. Athletic have gone on to reach the final, which for the first time is a Basque derby against Real Sociedad, although because of Covid-19 it is not known how and when that game is going to be played. In contrast, Athletic lost all four of their league games in February, but are unbeaten in the five games played since then. That leaves them ninth in the table and still in contention for a Europa League berth next season. Last five league results Athletic 1-0 Villarreal Valladolid 1-4 Athletic Athletic 1-1 Atlético Madrid Eibar 2-2 Athletic Athletic 1-0 Real Betis Their top goalscorers (league and cup) this season are: Raúl García (10); Iñaki Williams (9); Iker Muniain (6); Yuri Berchiche (6) Barça also lost 1-0 at San Mamés in the league earlier this season, and the Basques have now gone for three games without conceding a goal to the Catalans. None of those games were played at Camp Nou, where the sides drew 1-1 the last time they played there, a result that ended a run of 14 consecutive home victories for Barça in the league. But despite their good recent form against the blaugrana, Athletic have not won a game at Camp Nou since 2001. Last five meetings 06/02/20 (CUP) Athletic 1-0 FC Barcelona 16/08/19 (LIGA) Athletic 1-0 FC Barcelona 10/02/19 (LIGA) Athletic 0-0 FC Barcelona 29/09/18 (LIGA) FC Barcelona 1-1 Athletic 18/03/18 (LIGA) FC Barcelona 2-0 Athletic Quique Setién has only won one of his eight clashes with Athletic as a manager, in 2016 when he was in charge of Las Palmas. Leo Messi has either scored or given an assist in his last eleven games against Athletic at Camp Nou. Barça have kept four clean sheets in a row, having scored six and conceded none since the league resumed. We have to go all the way back to a 0-0 draw in 1985 to find the last time Barça failed to score at home to Bilbao in the league – long before a lot of readers were even born!
We need a win badly here. Hope we see Fati, Messi, and Griez upfront but I wanna see some swagger from Antoine.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EbOB3a7U4AEjuOV?format=jpg&name=small --Griezmann---Suarez---Messi-- ------Arthur---Busquets---Vidal--- Alba----Lenglet---Pique---Semedo ----------------TerStegen--------------- Bench: Neto, Iñaki Peña, I. Rakitic, Braithwaite, Umtiti, Junior, Iñaki Peña, Riqui Puig, Collado, Ansu Fati, R. Araujo, Monchu & Cuenca.
Watching Messi trying to get an opening for a shot is just annoying. Everybody knows what the team is doing. Too obvious.
Am guessing its like other seasons - he remains with us until 1 July when the transfer window opens. (Or does the transfer window open later this year?).