Barça will host Athletic Club (20.00, GolT, Canal + Liga) with the objective of increasing its lead over Atlético Madrid (second, 3-point difference) and Real Madrid (third, 11-point difference)
A victory over the Basque side would see Barça break the record for the best ever start to La Liga in the history of the competition
The Camp Nou will host a classic Spanish football fixture at 20.00 (GolT, Canal + Liga). Athletic Club’s visit, an historic team in the competition, to Barcelona will give Barça a chance to widen the gap between itself and its immediate perusers. A blaugrana victory over the Basque side would allow Barça to increase its tree-point lead over Atlético Madrid (second) or its eleven-point lead over Real Madrid. The two Madrid teams will face off immediately after the game at the Camp Nou.
The best ever La Liga start within reach
In the event of victory for the home team, Barça will break the record for the best ever La Liga start in the history of the competition, beating out the mark set by Radomir Antic’s Real Madrid in the 1991/92 season. To claim the record, Tito Vilanova will be able to call on Adriano, who after the match against Alavés successfully recovered from an intestinal virus infection.
Müller’s record trembles
Leo Messi won’t miss tonight’s match either, he was one of the seven Barça players that was rested this week – along with Valdés, Piqué, Alba, Sergio, Xavi and Iniesta. The Argentine is within striking distance of Gerd Müller’s record of goals scored in a calendar year. He’s currently three goals away from equalling the record.
Athletic Club, in urgent need of a win
Barça’s record-breaking run stands in stark contrast to Athletic Club’s situation. The Basque side haven’t had a smooth transition after last season’s Copa del Rey and Europa League final defeats. Since then, they’ve lost Javi Martínez – a key player for Marcelo Bielsa last season – and Fernando Llorente has yet to sign a contract extension. Athletic Club are only four points clear of the relegation zone.