Gordon And Balde To Start | 4-2-3-1 Barcelona Predicted Lineup Vs Athletic Bilbao | OneFootball

Barcelona will entertain Athletic Bilbao at the Nou Camp this Thursday night as they look to earn a good result at home in La Liga. The Catalan club managed to secure a dominant 5-0 win over Elche last weekend, which should keep them in good spirits going into this game.

Hansi Flick will set his players up in a 4-2-3-1 formation and is expected to make some tweaks to his first XI for this contest. Anthony Gordon and Alejandro Balde could both play from the start of this game.

4-2-3-1 Barcelona Predicted Lineup To Face Athletic Bilbao

Defence

Joan Garcia will feature in between the sticks for the Catalan club after keeping a clean sheet in his last appearance. Eric Garcia will operate alongside Gerard Martin at the centre of Flick’s defence as they look to keep the opposition at bay during the 90 minutes.

Jules Kounde will fill in as the right-back, while Alejandro Balde hopes to prove his worth on the other side as the left-back. Both of them will get the license to go forward and express themselves inside the opponent’s half.

Pau Cubarsi will offer cover for the centre-back positions on the bench.

ELCHE, SPAIN – AUGUST 23: Lamine Yamal of Barcelona warms up before the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Elche CF and FC Barcelona at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero on August 23, 2026 in Elche, Spain. (Photo by Francisco Macia/Getty Images)

Midfield

Xavi Espart and Marc Bernal will anchor the midfield for Barca as they focus on making life tough for the visitors in the middle of the park and orchestrating some decent chances in and around the opponent’s penalty area.

The talented trio of Raphinha, Fermin Lopez and Lamine Yamal will function just ahead of them as part of Flick’s attack. All three of them need to be at their best if the Catalan club are to secure a convincing win at the Nou Camp this Thursday night.

Pedri and Dani Olmo will be available for selection on the bench as they await their chance to shine in the second 45 minutes if needed.

Attack

Anthony Gordon will spearhead Barca’s attack up top. He has to find a way to be a real threat in the final third.

Karim Adeyemi will have to settle for a place on the bench and might come on to influence the game in the latter stages if Barcelona are in need of a goal by then.