Athletic Bilbao/Barcelona, Copa del Rey Final, 9pm BST

There couldn’t be a more fitting final to this year’s Copa del Rey- the two most successful teams in the competition’s history vying to become the first to win it 25 times (if you count 1902 as a Bilbao triumph, that is).

If you were looking forward to the prospect of thousands of Catalan and Basque fans jeering both him and the Spanish national anthem, however, you may be disappointed. Despite showing most of the group stages, Sky have opted not to show the final in the UK, as tennis, cricket and Wigan’s mauling at the hands of Manchester Utd have been given a higher priority.

Barcelona are missing Rafael Marquez, Eric Abidal, Andres Iniesta and Thierry Henry, and are struggling with fatigue ahead of their 12th match in 40 days. Here’s why Athletic Bilbao may be worth backing at a generous 7.2 with Betfair:

» Bilbao are hitting form at the right time having won three and drawn one of their last five, killing off any danger of a relegation battle.

» They also have a massive fitness advantage having played four games less than Barcelona since the start of April.

» Barcelona’s invincibility has waned recently, with them winning just one of their last five games.

» The last time the two sides met in the final in 1984 it was the Basque club who lifted the trophy after a 1-0 win in Madrid.

» The Mestalla hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for Barcelona recently. They have won one, drawn one and lost three of their last five games there and it was there that their treble bid was ended last season, with a 3-2 loss to Valencia in the second-leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final.

Click here to claim a £25 no loss bet with Betfair