Barcelona Plans Grand Celebration at Camp Nou Against Athletic

Barcelona will experience a match this Saturday that has been eagerly anticipated for over nine hundred days. The fans return to Camp Nou to celebrate with 45,000 supporters filling all available seats, witnessing a spectacle featuring musical performances, fireworks, a special honorary kickoff, and, of course, an important match for Flick's team against Athletic. It's forbidden to spoil the party for the Blaugrana, who are regaining their stadium, recovering injured players, and hoping to recapture their form.

The Barça needs to return to last year's form, and what better way to do so than with the boost from Camp Nou. Gates will open more than two hours early, and fans are encouraged to wear Blaugrana colors to create an atmosphere that few current Barça players have experienced. This connection with the crowd is crucial for Flick. "We prefer playing at Camp Nou. When we held the training session, the feeling was incredible. It's a football stadium. I hope it gives us an advantage due to the proximity of the fans. It's fantastic to see and feel," stated the German coach.

This connection is vital for a team still seeking to regain its best form. Barça improved in Balaídos before the break thanks to a superb Lewandowski, who scored a hat trick, but they continue to show issues with maintaining high pressure and stopping the opponent's transitions. "We must never doubt what we want to do; we continue on the same path. We must look at ourselves and deliver the best performance," he clarified.

To achieve this, Flick will need to be creative to complete a midfield missing its two engines. Pedri is out due to injury, and Frenkie de Jong is suspended. These absences add to the long-term injuries of Ter Stegen and Gavi, affecting a lineup that might also miss Marcus Rashford due to illness. All these absences influence Flick's strategy, who will put everything on the line, including the recovered Joan García and Raphinha. They will be the main novelties in a lineup where Cubarsí and Eric will be the central defenders, Casadó and Olmo will control the midfield, and Fermín, Lamine Yamal, and Lewandowski are favorites to lead the attack.

The grand celebration of Barcelona will have Athletic as an unwelcome guest and Nico Williams as a focal point of the match. This is because he is the most decisive player on the opposing team and due to his flirtations with the Blaugrana club over two consecutive summers. This time, he arrives at Camp Nou as the great hope of an Athletic team still searching for its best form and hoping to change that dynamic with the return of their franchise player. "It's a decisive moment with consecutive and challenging matches. We are always ready to compete, and our idea is to keep adding points, knowing there is a lot of parity in La Liga. We are Athletic, and we are a difficult team to beat," warned Ernesto Valverde in the pre-match press conference.

Athletic will play five matches until December 6, three of which will be against Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atlético. That's why Ernesto Valverde hopes to start on the right foot and not suffer from the injuries of Egiluz, Beñat Prados, Maroan Sannadi, and Iñaki Williams. These absences affect a lineup where Laporte and Vivian will be the defensive anchors, and Nico Williams and Sancet will need to be the threats. These are the main weapons of an Athletic team looking to spoil the most anticipated celebration for all of Barcelona.

Barcelona: Joan García, Koundé, Cubarsí, Eric García, Balde, Casadó, Olmo, Lamine Yamal, Fermín López, Raphinha, and Lewandowski.

Athletic: Unai Simón, Areso, Laporte, Vivian, Yuri, Jauregizar, Galarreta, Berenguer, Sancet, Nico Williams, and Guruzeta.

Referee: José María Sánchez Martínez (Murcian Committee).

Stadium: Spotify Camp Nou.

Time and TV: 16:15 h. Dazn.