Barcelona will conclude their 2024-25 La Liga title-winning campaign with a clash against Athletic Bilbao at San Mames on Sunday night.
The Catalan giants won the title with two games to spare, and they will be aiming to finish what has been a hugely successful season with a victory over an Athletic side that have secured Champions League football for next term.
Match preview
© Imago
Athletic fell short in the Europa League this season, losing in the semi-finals to Manchester United, so there was no dream final for the Basque side on home soil, but it has still been a highly successful campaign.
Indeed, Ernesto Valverde's side have secured a top-four finish in the La Liga table, meaning that the club will return to the Champions League for the 2025-26 campaign.
Athletic can join third-placed Atletico Madrid on 73 points, but they would still be fourth due to the head-to-head record between the two sides, while Villarreal cannot move past the Lions despite only being three points behind in fifth, again due to the head-to-head record.
As a result, this is a pressure-free contest for Valverde's team, and they will enter this match in excellent form, having won each of their last three games against Alaves, Getafe and Valencia without conceding.
Athletic have the fourth-best home record in La Liga this season, picking up 39 points from 18 matches, while the Basque side have the best home defensive record this term, only conceding 10 times.
© Imago
Barcelona's championship success was confirmed courtesy of their 2-0 victory over Espanyol on May 15, with head coach Hansi Flick delivering three trophies in his first season at the helm, also lifting the Copa del Rey trophy and Spanish Super Cup.
The Catalan outfit will actually enter this match off the back of a 3-2 home defeat to Villarreal - their first domestic loss of 2025 - and the champions will not want to end their campaign with successive defeats.
Barcelona have the best away record in Spain's top flight this season, picking up 42 points from their 18 matches, while they are bidding to move past 100 league goals for the campaign, with the team currently on 99.
Blaugrana recorded a 2-1 victory over Athletic in the reverse fixture earlier this season, but it was 0-0 at San Mames last term.
That said, Athletic have not overcome Barcelona in La Liga since August 2019, which is an indication of the size of the home team's task against a team that have proven themselves to be the best side in Spain throughout the campaign.
Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski have all had glorious campaigns for Barcelona, and the attacking trio will be aiming to sign off for the season in style at San Mames on Sunday night.
Team News
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Athletic have doubts over both Yeray Alvarez and Nico Williams for this weekend, with the pair facing late fitness tests to determine whether they can be involved in the team's final league fixture of the campaign.
There will be changes from the side that took to the field for the first whistle against Valencia last time out, with Inaki Williams and Mikel Jauregizar both in line to come into the starting side.
Maroan Sannadi is also pushing for a spot through the middle, with Gorka Guruzeta likely to drop down to the bench on Sunday.
As for Barcelona, Marc Bernal, Jules Kounde and Ferran Torres are definitely out, while Ronald Araujo is again unlikely to be available due to a muscular problem.
Head coach Flick will make changes to the side that started the clash with Villarreal last time out - Frenkie de Jong is set to return in the middle of midfield, while Alejandro Balde is in line to feature at left-back.
Fermin Lopez has been in excellent form of late and was again on the scoresheet against Villarreal, but Dani Olmo is also expected to be introduced into the starting XI at San Mames.
Athletic Bilbao possible starting lineup:
Simon; Lekue, Vivian, Paredes, Yuri; Ruiz de Galarreta, Jauregizar; Berenguer, Sancet, I Williams; Sannadi
Barcelona possible starting lineup:
Ter Stegen; Garcia, Cubarsi, Martinez, Balde; Pedri, De Jong; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Lewandowski
We say: Athletic Bilbao 1-2 Barcelona
Athletic will be confident of picking up a positive result on the final weekend of the campaign, especially considering their defensive record at San Mames. That said, Barcelona have the most devastating attack in Spain's top flight, and we are backing Flick's team to secure all three points in their final game of the season.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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Matt Law
