Athletic Club will be FC Barcelona’s first opponents in the league season 2015/16. The team coached by former blaugrana Ernesto Valverde will face Barça at San Mamés on the weekend 22/23 August, after having already met Luis Enrique’s side twice in the Spanish Super Cup, in San Mamés on 14 August and on 17 August at Camp Nou.
Just a few days after their league debut at San Mamés, the blaugranes will have their first midweek league fixture of the game away at Getafe. This encounter has been brought forward from Match Day 10’s round of games in October due to FC Barcelona’s presence in this season’s World Club Cup in Japan.
A derby to kick off 2016
After those first two games in the league, Barça’s fixture list continues with a game against Málaga at home, Atlético Madrid away and Levante at Camp Nou once again. The first ‘Clásico’ of the season will come in November and the first Catalan derby against Espanyol comes in the first league game of 2016 and could see debuts for both Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal. The final three games of the league campaign see Barça face Betis (away), Espanyol (home) and Granada (away).
Let’s not forget that before the league gets under way, Luis Enrique’s side will already have played three official fixtures. On 11 August in Tiblisi, Georgia comes the European Super Cup against Sevilla which is followed by the Spanish equivalent against Athletic Club on 14 and 17 August.
The league ends of the weekend of 15 May and the Copa del Rey final is set for 21 May. The Champions League final this season will be on 28 May.