Barcelona take on the visitors Athletic Bilbao in the round 2 match of Spanish LaLiga. The match will be played on Saturday, August 24th at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys (Barcelona).
Barcelona begin a new era. The Catalans tried to replicate the success they had with Guardiola and Luis Enrique (not to mention Cruyff's "Dream Team") by overcoming their slump under the guidance of a club legend. Xavi won both the Supercopa and La Liga in 2023, but in the following season, he failed to secure a single trophy. He initially wanted to leave, but changed his mind—only for Laporta to show the former midfielder the door. He was replaced by a more experienced coach, Flick, who needed to rehabilitate his reputation after a disappointing stint with the German national team. However, the financial situation hasn't improved much, so the only major summer signing was the return of Dani Olmo. They managed to win against Valencia thanks to a brace from Lewandowski.
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Athletic reunited with Valverde back in 2022. But only the most optimistic fans saw significant progress in his first year back in Bilbao—yes, there was some, but modest Osasuna still prevented their ambitious neighbor from reaching European competitions. However, the 2023/2024 season was a breakthrough for this unique team: after a 40-year drought, they won the Copa del Rey! Admittedly, the cup run took a lot of energy and focus, and the celebrations went on for a while—ultimately allowing Atletico Madrid to pull away in La Liga, though they had a real chance to claim fourth place. Still, it was a great season, and they managed to keep Nico Williams and other stars at home, while also strengthening the squad with Jalo from Braga. But in the last round, they could only manage a draw with Getafe.
After four straight defeats to the Catalans, the Basques managed to beat them in the cup (4-2 in extra time) and then held them to a goalless draw at San Mames in La Liga. This is El Clasico, and it won't be easy for the Blaugrana against their former coach. But they are playing at home - so we're betting on Flick's team to win.
Prediction for the match: Barcelona to win.
