Barcelona return to the Spotify Camp Nou on Thursday following a resounding 5-0 away victory against Elche in their La Liga opener
Athletic Bilbao manager Edin Terzic faces an early test after his side suffered a 3-1 home defeat against Sevilla
Midfielder Rodri has returned to training after a minor back operation and could make his official Barcelona debut
Defending champions Barcelona return to the Spotify Camp Nou on Thursday evening to face Athletic Bilbao in a La Liga Matchday Two fixture. Hansi Flick’s side opened their campaign with a dominant 5-0 away victory against Elche. Raphinha opened the scoring before new signing Karim Adeyemi doubled the lead. Raphinha added a third, and Fermin Lopez rounded off the rout with a brace.
Athletic Bilbao suffered a 3-1 home defeat to Sevilla in their opening match under new manager Edin Terzic.
Barcelona are unbeaten in their last 15 successive La Liga home matches against Athletic Bilbao at the Spotify Camp Nou.
Champions Seek Continued Dominance
Barcelona won the La Liga title last season with 94 points and 95 goals scored. They enter Thursday’s contest boasting an overwhelming head-to-head record against their opponents.
Barcelona have won their last six meetings against Athletic Bilbao. They scored 17 goals and conceded only once during this run. Recent victories include a 1-0 win in March 2026, a 5-0 Super Cup win in January 2026 and a 4-0 home win in La Liga in November 2025.
Flick receives a significant boost with midfielder Rodri back in training following a minor back operation. The midfielder could make his Barcelona debut on Thursday. Rodri completed his transfer to Barcelona on a four-year contract running through June 30, 2030 for a guaranteed fee of €60mn. Potential add-ons could bring the total package up to €76.5mn, and he was officially registered with La Liga on August 21, 2026.
The medical team assessed Gavi's knee injury sustained against Elche and diagnosed it as a minor bruise, and the midfielder is expected to return to contention shortly. Frenkie de Jong remains sidelined with a knee ligament injury, with no clear return date confirmed at this stage.
Terzic Faces Early Test
Edin Terzic took over Athletic Bilbao following Ernesto Valverde's departure at the end of last season. The team lost their final three pre-season matches and conceded seven goals.
Yuri Berchiche's 11th-minute red card compromised Athletic's opener. This setback led to a 3-1 defeat against Sevilla. Oso opened the scoring in the 15th minute before Chidera Ejuke added a second in the 50th. Isaac Romero made it three seven minutes later, despite Aitor Paredes scoring a 70th-minute consolation goal. Athletic Bilbao enjoyed long spells of possession and produced more shots than their opponents but were unable to recover.
Berchiche is suspended for Thursday's fixture. Unai Eguiluz, Daniel Vivian and Nico Serrano are ruled out due to injuries.
Aymeric Laporte and Nico Williams are in contention to start after coming off the bench against Sevilla, as Williams is capable of posing a significant threat on the counter-attack. Goalkeeper Unai Simon seeks redemption after conceding three goals in the opening match, having kept a clean sheet throughout Spain’s World Cup campaign.
Barcelona Vs Athletic Bilbao Live Streaming In India
For viewers in India, the match will kick off at 12:30am IST on Friday, August 28. LaLiga’s current Indian streaming rights are held by FanCode, with the platform listed as the destination for the 2026/27 season. There is no traditional TV broadcast currently listed for Indian viewers.
