ATHLETIC BILBAO vs BARCELONA

Competition

Copa del Rey 

Date

26 May 2012

Kick-off

03:00 GMT +7

Venue

Estadio Vicente Calderón (Madrid)

Both team must be familiar to you of course, especially for punters or a soccer analyst. Even if you're not both of them, you must know, at least on FC Barcelona. 

ATHLETIC BILBAO

Last game they played on official mathces was againts Levante, where they were lose 0-3 at Estadio Ciudad de Valencia (Valencia). 

From total 38 matches played on Spain Primera La Liga, Athletic Bilbao lay on 10th position with 49 points, W12 L13 D13, scoring  49 goals and conceding 52 goals. 

Date	Competition	Team	Score
27-04-2012	UEL	Athletic Bilbao vs S. Lisbon	3-1
29-04-2012	SPL	Real Zaragoza vs Athletic Bilbao	2-0
03-05-2012	SPL	Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid	0-3
06-05-2012	SPL	Athletic Bilbao vs Getafe	0-0
10-05-2012	UEL	Atletico Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao	3-0
14-05-2012	SPL	Levante vs Athletic Bilbao	3-0

FC BARCELONA

Last game they played on official mathces was againts Real Betis, where they were draw 2-2 at Estadio Benito Villamarín (Sevilla). 

From total 38 matches played on Spain Primera La Liga, FC Barcelona lay on 2nd position with 91 points, W28 L3 D7, scoring  114 goals and conceding 29 goals. 

Date	Competition	Team	Score
22-04-2012	SPL	Barcelona vs Real Madrid	1-2
25-04-2012	UCL	Barcelona vs Chelsea	2-2
30-04-2012	SPL	Rayo Vallecano vs Barcelona	0-7
03-05-2012	SPL	Barcelona vs Malaga	4-1
06-05-2012	SPL	Barcelona vs Espanyol	4-0
13-05-2012	SPL	Real Betis vs Barcelona	2-2

*** PREVIEW ***

Either Athletic Bilbao nor Barcelona had no title this season.

Athletic Bilbao lose to Atletico Madrid 0-3 on Final UEFA Europa League at Arena Națională (București, Romania).

FC Barcelona also lose to FC Chelsea on semi finals UEFA Champions League at Camp Nou (Barcelona) on aggregate 2-3.

Athletic Bilbao have Fernando Llorente as their top scorer, already scoring 16 goals from his 32 appereances this season while on Barcelona side, they have Lionel Messi as their goal machine, scoring 50 goals from 37 appereances this season, fantastic record from the young boy.

Copa del Rey is their last chance to get a single trophy this season, because Primera Division tittle belong to Real Madrid.

Athletic Bilbao already got this trophy for 22 times when FC Barcelona got this tittle for 25 times. Last time both teams met on Copa del Rey Final was on May 14th, 2009, and Barcelona became the winner on score 4-1. The goals came from Yaya Toure, Lionel Messi, Bojan Kirk, and Xavi, Barcelona players, and a single goal from Bilbao came from Toquero.

*** PREDICTION ***

Both teams adhere the pattern of attacking football, and motivation to get as fast as a score and to get the last chance to get tittle, each team would play an open game to produce as many as goals they could to secure a winning and 3 goals netted will get a high possibility on this match later.

Barcelona has a strong desire to grab this tittle after they failed to defend their tittle in league and got knock out on semi-final, but Athletic Bilbao will not give up easly although their recent performace not promising, but Bilbao must prepare their self by a high motivation because ironicly for Athletic Bilbao, last time they got a tittle was at 1985 on Super Cup. 

Athetic Bilbao vs Barcelona last 11 games history

Date	Home	Score	Away	AH	OU	Competition
14-04-2009	Athletic Bilbao (N)	1 - 4	Barcelona	L +1	2.5	Copa Del Rey
17-08-2009	Athletic Bilbao	1 - 2	Barcelona	L +0.75	2.5	Super Cup
24-08-2009	Barcelona	3 - 0	Athletic Bilbao	W -1.75	2.5	Super Cup
22-11-2009	Athletic Bilbao	1 - 1	Barcelona	W +1.25	2.5	Primera
04-04-2010	Barcelona	4 - 1	Athletic Bilbao	W +1.75	2.5	Primera
26-09-2010	Athletic Bilbao	1 - 3	Barcelona	L +0.75	2.5	Primera
22-12-2010	Barcelona	0 - 0	Athletic Bilbao	L -2.25	3.75	Copa Del Rey
06-01-2011	Athletic Bilbao	1 - 1	Barcelona	W +1.5	3.25	Copa Del Rey
21-02-2011	Barcelona	2 - 1	Athletic Bilbao	L -2.75	3.75	Primera
07-11-2012	Athletic Bilbao	2 - 2	Barcelona	W +1.5	3.25	Primera
01-04-2012	Barcelona	2 - 0	Athletic Bilbao	L -2.75	3.75	Primera

PS :

WIN by Handicap

LOSE by Handicap

For me on this case (match), most of Cup specially Final match, history decide, even though not for all game.

 vs 

ATH. BILBAO +1.75 FT @0.98

FT

 0 - 3

LOSE