La Liga 2026–2027: Barcelona vs. Athletic Bilbao, Probable Lineups

Spanish champions Barcelona make their season debut at Camp Nou against Athletic Bilbao in a match for the second round of La Liga. After a 5-0 victory in their opener against Elche, Flick’s men must respond to Real Madrid, which defeated Real Sociedad on Wednesday to take the lead in the standings alongside the two teams from Seville. The Basques, meanwhile, are looking to bounce back after suffering a humiliating 3-1 home loss to Sevilla in their season opener.

Raphinha returns as the Catalans’ center forward following his excellent debut, with Fermin, Gordon, and Yamal supporting him. In midfield, the Bernal-Pedri duo will start, while Eric Garcia and Espart will play on the wings.

The visitors will field the Nico Williams-Guruzeta duo up front, with Canales as the center forward. In midfield, De Galarreta and Gerenabarrena will start, with Rincon and Berenguer as the two fullbacks.

Barcelona vs. Athletic Bilbao: Probable Lineups
Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Joan Garcia; Eric Garcia, Martin, Christensen, Espart; Bernal, Pedri; Fermin, Gordon, Yamal; Raphinha. Head Coach: Flick.
Athletic Bilbao (3-4-1-2): Simon; Laporte, Paredes, Yeray; Rincon, De Galarreta, Gerenabarrena, Berenguer; Canales; Guruzeta, Williams. Head Coach: Terzic.

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick chose not to comment on the Julian Alvarez situation, the rebellious Atlético forward who wants to move to Catalonia. “I don’t want to talk about Julián; I want to talk about the club’s situation. We’ve made some very important signings. The club has to think about the future. As a coach, I demand the best—and even a little more—but then it may or may not work out. I have confidence in the team, and we’ll have to manage certain situations and find solutions for specific matches. But our quality is immense.”