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La Liga | Gameweek 1
Aug 16, 2019 at 8pm UK
 
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Aduriz (89')
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How Barcelona could line up against Bilbao

:Headline: How Barcelona could line up against Bilbao: ID:368098: from db_amp
Sports Mole looks at how Barcelona could line up in Friday night's La Liga opener against Athletic Bilbao.

Barcelona will begin the defence of their La Liga crown with a trip to Athletic Bilbao on Friday night.

Ernesto Valverde's side finished 11 points clear of Atletico Madrid at the top of the table last season, and the Catalan giants are once again expected to be the team to beat during the 2019-20 campaign.

Barca have won four of their five pre-season games this summer - including an impressive 4-0 victory over Napoli last time out, where Luis Suarez, Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann were all on the scoresheet.

It is a tough start against a dangerous Bilbao outfit, although the Basque side have not overcome Barca in a home La Liga match since 2013, which is an indication of the size of their task on Friday night.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how Barca could line up at San Mames.


Out: Neto (wrist)
Doubtful: Lionel Messi (calf)

Lionel Messi has not officially been ruled out of the match by Valverde, but it seems incredibly unlikely that the attacker will take part due to a calf injury. The 32-year-old has not been involved in Barca's pre-season preparations after turning out for Argentina in the Copa America during the summer.

Messi's expected absence could see Dembele and Griezmann join Luis Suarez in the final third of the field, with all three impressing against Napoli last time out.

The back four and goalkeeper largely picks itself with Clement Lenglet now very much Gerard Pique's preferred partner, and therefore perhaps the most interesting aspect of the team selection will come in midfield.

Summer arrival Frenkie de Jong is widely being tipped to start alongside Sergio Busquets, with Sergi Roberto's energy potentially seeing the Spaniard get the nod ahead of the likes of Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal. Arthur is another option for the middle of the park, meanwhile.

Barca's only other confirmed absentee is second-choice goalkeeper Neto, who has broken a bone in his wrist and now faces a period on the sidelines.

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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Atletico MadridAtletico18125133122141
2Real Madrid18124241182340
3Barcelona19122551222938
4Athletic Bilbao19106329171236
5Villarreal188643430430
6Mallorca199371921-230
7Real Sociedad187471613325
8GironaGirona187472625125
9Real BetisBetis186752122-125
10Osasuna186752327-425
11Celta Vigo187382728-124
12Rayo Vallecano185762021-122
13Las PalmasLas Palmas186482327-422
14Sevilla186482027-722
15Leganes184681728-1118
16AlavesAlaves184592130-917
17Getafe183781115-416
18Espanyol1843111630-1415
19Valencia172691626-1012
20Real ValladolidValladolid1833121237-2512
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