Barcelona couldn’t have made a stronger first impression in its pursuit of a third consecutive La Liga title. Just four days after opening the season with a 5-0 win over Elche, the defending champions return to Camp Nou to host Athletic Club on Thursday afternoon. The match was originally scheduled for La Liga’s opening weekend, but both clubs received additional recovery time because they had players involved in the later stages of the World Cup. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+.
Barcelona wasted little time finding its rhythm against Elche. Raphinha and Fermín López scored twice apiece, while summer signing Karim Adeyemi marked his competitive debut with a goal. Barcelona’s other new addition up top also made an immediate impact. Anthony Gordon came off the bench and assisted twice in just 25 minutes, including the pass that set up Adeyemi’s first goal for the club.
The performance offered an early look at how Barcelona plans to replace the production it lost up front, but the club’s most notable summer addition is still waiting to make his debut. Rodri was included in the squad for Thursday’s home opener after training with the group throughout the week and is expected to receive his first minutes in a Barcelona shirt.
Alejandro Balde also returns to the squad after missing the trip to Elche. Gavi will not be available after injuring his knee during the opener, while Frenkie de Jong and Roony Bardghji remain sidelined.
Barcelona’s return home carries additional significance after the club produced a historic record there last season. Flick’s team won all 19 of its home league matches, becoming the first La Liga club to complete a perfect home campaign since the competition expanded to 20 teams.
Athletic Club will be the first team asked to interrupt that run, and it arrives at Camp Nou following a difficult start to the Edin Terzić era. Athletic opened the new campaign with a 3-1 loss to Sevilla at San Mamés after Yuri Berchiche received a red card during the opening minutes.
Nico Williams and Aymeric Laporte both came off the bench against Sevilla after returning from the World Cup and could move into the starting lineup Thursday. Yuri remains suspended despite Athletic’s appeal, while Dani Vivian, Unai Egiluz and Beñat Prados are unavailable through injury.
Athletic has also struggled to find answers for Barcelona in recent years. Barça is unbeaten in the last 10 La Liga meetings between the clubs, earning eight wins and two draws. Barcelona swept both matchups last season without conceding, following a 4-0 victory at Camp Nou with a 1-0 win at San Mamés.
Barcelona vs. Athletic Club Odds Today
Barcelona is a heavy home favorite for Thursday’s match on the three-way moneyline at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook:
- Barcelona (-475)
- Draw (+600)
- Athletic Club (+1200)
Best Bet for Barcelona vs. Athletic Club
Hard Rock Bet’s Stats Hub provides recent trends, player data and matchup insights for every game on the La Liga schedule. Barcelona’s remarkable form at home supports our featured play for Thursday:
Barcelona/Barcelona Halftime/Fulltime (-155): Barcelona has won 19 consecutive La Liga matches at home, while also carrying a nine-match streak of first-half wins in league games at Camp Nou.
This market requires Barcelona to lead at halftime and go on to win the match in regulation. With the hosts priced at -475 on the three-way moneyline, the halftime/fulltime market provides a more manageable price while still backing Barcelona to continue its home dominance.
The recent history between these clubs also favors Barça. Barcelona has eight wins and two draws across its last 10 league meetings against Athletic, with both draws coming away from Camp Nou. Flick’s side won 4-0 when Athletic visited last season before grinding out a narrower 1-0 victory in Bilbao.
Barcelona opened the new campaign by scoring five times at Elche, while Athletic spent nearly an entire match playing with 10 men against Sevilla. Returning to Camp Nou for the first time this season, Barça should be ready to take control much earlier than it did in some of its more difficult road meetings with Athletic.
Give us Barcelona/Barcelona Halftime/Fulltime (-155) as our best bet for Thursday’s match.
Betting Splits at Hard Rock Bet
Barcelona is receiving nearly all of the early three-way moneyline action at Hard Rock Bet:
- Barcelona has pulled in 97.8% of all tickets and 99.2% of the money wagered.
- Athletic Club accounts for 1.4% of the bets and 0.6% of the handle.
- The draw represents the remaining 0.8% of tickets and 0.2% of the handle.
Top 5 Most-Bet Player Props
Raphinha and Lamine Yamal make up four of Thursday’s five most popular player props at Hard Rock Bet:
- Raphinha – Over 1.5 Shots on Target
- Raphinha – Anytime Goalscorer
- Lamine Yamal – Over 1.5 Shots on Target
- Lamine Yamal – Over 0.5 Shots on Target
- Fermín López – Over 0.5 Shots on Target
Barcelona vs. Athletic Club Match Info
- 📍 Location: Spotify Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
- 📅 Date: Thursday, August 27
- ⏰ Start Time: 3 p.m. ET
- 📺 Where to Watch: ESPN Deportes and ESPN+
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