A spot in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals is up for grabs on Thursday as Athletic Bilbao host Barcelona in the round of 16. Both teams are just back from their participation in the Spanish Super Cup, where Athletic lost in the final to Real Madrid after beating Atletico Madrid. Barca failed to advance from the semifinals of the competition, losing to Real Madrid in El Clasico, 3-2. The winner here will join Mallorca, Cadiz, Rayo Vallecano, Valencia, Real Betis, Real Soceidad and either Real Madrid or Elche in the last eight.
Here’s are storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Thursday, Jan. 20
- Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
- Location: San Mames — Basque Country, Spain
- Live stream: ESPN+
Storylines
Athletic: The backline is a bit depleted behind their normal starters Inigo Martinez and Yeray Alvarez, with Asier Villalibre and Unai Nunez still injured. Both starting centerbacks are also a card away from suspension. Marcelino will be hoping for a similar performance as in their first meeting, a 1-1 draw in August. While it wasn’t the result they wanted, Athletic looked sharp, created seven more shots than Barca and more than twice as many on goal, despite having just 32 % possession. They’ll sit back and aim to do damage on the counter, and the longer this match is level, the better it could play into the hosts’ hands.
Barca: Well, you can expect to watch Barca without Ousmane Dembele ever playing for them again it would seem. Club director Mateu Alemany said ahead of the match that the French winger must leave immediately, and he’s been dropped by manager Xavi. With Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann gone, and with Dembele on the way out, that just creates more of an opportunity for guys like Ferran Torres, who is tasked with being the reference point in attack. Xavi will be hoping Ferran can help them get going in attack, especially after their round of 32 clash where they needed two goals in the final 30 minutes to beat Linares Deportivo.
Prediction
Marcelino’s men pull off the upset, taking care of Barca on a late Inaki Williams goal. Pick: Athletic Club 2, Barcelona 1
