Barcelona vs Athletic Club prediction 22.11.2025 | La Liga

Barcelona enter this match in solid domestic form. Recent victories - a 3-1 win over Elche and a 4-2 away win at Celta - have highlighted their attacking depth, bringing their tally to 32 league goals from 12 matches (an average of 2.7 goals per game). However, Barca’s defensive issues have been widely discussed, particularly away from home, where they have kept clean sheets in only 14% of their fixtures. Even at home, despite their attacking dominance, they have failed to register a clean sheet in three consecutive La Liga outings at the Estadi Olímpic.

In terms of squad availability, Barcelona are dealing with a significant injury list. Midfielder Pedri has been ruled out for several weeks with a muscle tear, while additional absences have been reported in recent weeks. Frenkie de Jong will also miss this match through suspension following his red card in the 4-2 win over Celta Vigo. These setbacks stretch Barca’s rotation options and increase reliance on players such as Ferran Torres, Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski when fit.

Athletic’s season has been inconsistent. A sequence of narrow defeats and draws was briefly halted by a 1-0 win over Real Oviedo just before the final international break of the calendar year, leaving them on 17 points from 12 matches and showing an uneven W/D/L pattern across their last 10 league fixtures. Their downturn in form began in early September, when they suffered their first La Liga defeat of the season - a 1-0 home loss to Deportivo Alaves. Over the following eight matches, Athletic managed only two wins while losing four more times, reflecting a clear dip in performance levels.

A major concern has been their lack of productivity in away matches. Athletic have struggled to compete at the required level due to a low goal return on the road, failing to score in three of their last four away league fixtures. This attacking inefficiency has directly contributed to their inability to collect points away from San Mames.

Reports from recent matches suggest fitness concerns for key wide attackers and manager Ernesto Valverde has rotated heavily to cope with fixture congestion.