Miserly Barcelona Face Athletic Bilbao Without Key Defender Ronald Araujo
Xavi Hernandez's return to Barcelona as coach indicated a return to the club's flowing possession game he thrived in as a player, but his team has instead relied on a watertight defence as they close in on the Spanish title. Barcelona visit Athletic Bilbao on Sunday as they bid to preserve or even extend their nine point lead on Real Madrid, who host Espanyol Saturday -- in their last league matches before the Clasico at Camp Nou on March 19. The Catalans last lifted La Liga in 2019 and after heavy investment last summer, a need to produce instant results has influenced their approach.
