Athletic Club and FC Barcelona face each other this Sunday, May 25, on matchday 38 of LaLiga. The Blaugrana team already decided the championship in the Catalan derby and seeks to close the season with another victory, while the 'lions' are also going for another victory before their fans, after securing their ticket to the next Champions League.

Barça, in addition, wants to match its best second half in the history of LaLiga and with practically the entire squad available, except for the injured Marc Bernal, Jules Koundé and Ferran Torres.

We review the possible starting lineup, the substitutes bench and the injured and sanctioned players of Barcelona of Hansi Flick for the match against Athletic. Complete analysis!

Probable starting XI of Barça:

  1. (#01, GK) Ter Stegen
  2. (#24) Eric García
  3. (#02) Pau Cubarsí
  4. (#05) Iñigo Martínez
  5. (#03) Alejandro Balde
  6. (#21) Frenkie de Jong
  7. (#08) Pedri
  8. (#20) Dani Olmo
  9. (#19) Lamine Yamal
  10. (#11) Raphinha
  11. (#09) Robert Lewandowski

Barça bench (substitute players):

  1. (#13, GK) Iñaki Peña
  2. (#25, GK) Szczesny
  3. (#10) Ansu Fati
  4. (#14) Pablo Torre
  5. (#15) Andreas Christensen
  6. (#17) Marc Casadó
  7. (#18) Pau Víctor
  8. (#16) Fermín López
  9. (#06) Gavi
  10. (#32) Héctor Fort
  11. (#35) Gerard Martín
  12. (#36) Sergi Domínguez

Injured players of Barça:

  1. (#04) Ronald Araujo
  2. (#07) Ferran Torres
  3. (#23) Jules Koundé
  4. (#28) Marc Bernal

What will be the surprises and tactical variants of Flick's Barça against Athletic?

In principle, Flick plans to make several tweaks to his lineup from the match against Villarreal, again with important adjustments in defense. Ter Stegen would be the starting goalkeeper, with Balde back in the XI along with Dani Olmo and Frenkie de Jong.

Goalkeeper and defense:

  • Ter Stegen will be in goal, while Eric García and Alejandro Balde will be the full-backs. Héctor Fort should also add minutes in place of the injured Koundé. In the center of the defense, Pau Cubarsí should accompany Iñigo Martínez, with Andreas Christensen waiting for his opportunity on the bench.

Midfield:

  • As a pivot, Frenkie de Jong is expected to be Pedri's partner in midfield, while Dani Olmo would return as the team's attacking midfielder. Fermín López and Gavi, starters against Villarreal, would have a day off, while Marc Casadó will be available as a substitute.

Attack:

  • In attack, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski complete the Blaugrana attack alongside Lamine Yamal. The Pole was absent in the last three matchdays and needs to return to action to recover lost ground in the fight for the Pichichi. However, Kylian Mbappé practically sealed the scoring lead with his double against Real Sociedad.

CULÉ LOWS! How do they affect Barça against Athletic?

The injuries of Jules Koundé, Ferran Torres and Marc Bernal are a major setback for FC Barcelona in the final stretch of the season.

Below, we detail the individual impact of each Blaugrana absence in the last match of LaLiga 24/25.

Jules Koundé (starting right back)

  • Impact: after playing 86 consecutive matches with the club during the last 12 months, Koundé finally rested on matchday 33 against Mallorca. The Frenchman was the MVP of the Cup final, scoring the winning goal, but was injured in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals against Inter Milan last Wednesday. The '23' added 4 goals and 8 assists in 53 matches with Flick's team
  • Consequences: in principle, Barça has not determined the time of absence of Jules, who suffers a distal injury to the biceps femoris of the left thigh. Flick only has Héctor Fort as a substitute right back and, in the Champions League, he opted for Eric García as an emergency solution.

Marc Bernal (Midfielder, defensive midfielder)

  • Impact: Bernal, one of the revelations of the youth academy, suffered a serious knee injury (rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament) and says goodbye to the season.

  • Consequences: His absence deprives the team of a physical and tactical profile that had provided balance and energy in the center of the field. Bernal was a valuable alternative for matches of high physical demand and his absence forces Flick to rely more on experienced players or to advance the progression of other young players.

Ferran Torres (center forward/ winger)

  • Impact: Ferran Torres, the '9' of the team during the absence of Robert Lewanodwski due to injury, may have said goodbye to the season after undergoing surgery on Wednesday, as a result of appendicitis.
  • Consequences: the 'Shark' was very important in the Blaugrana attack during the absence of 'Lewy', scoring one of the goals in the Cup final against Real Madrid and in the first leg of the 'semis' of Champions against Inter. In addition, he had just broken a record in the last Liga Clásico, with three assists in the first half.

Ronald Araujo (central defender)

Ronald Araujo in a match against Atlético de Madrid
  • Impact: the Uruguayan was a starter on Wednesday against Espanyol, partnering with Andreas Christensen in the center of the defense. However, he had to leave in the 51st minute due to discomfort in his right knee and could not play against Villarreal.
  • Consequences: Araujo has not managed to recover his best version after spending almost the entire first half of 24/25 injured. The final stretch of the season has had appearances in important Liga and Champions League matches, leaving some doubts about his performance. Without him, Flick loses a fixed replacement for the defense.

The possible surprise lineup of Athletic! Unprecedented XI for the Basques?

  • Initial XI: Unai Simón; Lekue, Vivian, Paredes, Berchiche; Jaureguizar, Vesga; Sancet, Berenguer, Nico Williams; Iñaki Williams.
  • Bench: Agirrezabala (GK), Yeray, Unai Gómez, Gorosabel, De Marcos, Djaló, Rego, Prados, De Galarreta, Sannadi.
  • Injured: None. Sanctioned: None.

Athletic, for their part, arrive at the match against Barcelona with all their starters available. Ernesto Valverde's team has already secured their place in the next edition of the UEFA Champions League and arrives at the end of the season with three straight victories against Alavés, Getafe and Valencia.

In principle, the 'lions' will try to defeat Barça taking advantage of the returns of the Williams brothers in attack. The team would have Lekue and Berchiche as full-backs, while Vivian and Paredes would return to the center of the defense. In midfield, Jaureguizar and Vesga would also return, with Oihan Sancet as attacking midfielder. The wingers should be Berenguer and Nico, with Iñaki up front.