Southampton continue their pre-season preparations this weekend as they take on Athletic Bilbao at St. Mary's Stadium this weekend. Both teams have a point to prove this year and will want to win this game.Athletic Bilbao finished their La Liga campaign in 10th place last season and will want to secure European qualification this season. The Basque giants can pack a punch on their day and have a point to prove this weekend.Southampton, on the other hand, managed a 15th-place finish in the Premier League but did fairly well in the FA Cup. The Saints have made a few changes to their squad and will want to prove their mettle in this fixture.It's great to have you back, #SaintsFC fans ❤️ pic.twitter.com/FK6URoV9aI— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) August 5, 2021Southampton vs Athletic Bilbao Head-to-HeadSouthampton and Athletic Bilbao are on an even footing as far as their official head-to-head record is concerned and have won one game apiece out of a total of two matches played between the two teams.The previous meeting between the two teams took place in 2016 and ended in a 1-0 victory for Southampton. Both teams have improved in recent years and will want to win this game.Southampton form guide: W-W-W-L-WAthletic Bilbao form guide: L-W-L-W-LSouthampton vs Athletic Bilbao Team NewsSouthampton have a point to proveSouthamptonJames Ward-Prowse is recuperating from a knee injury at the moment and has been ruled out of this match. Jan Bednarek, Stuart Armstrong, and Jannik Vestergaard are back in the squad and are available for selection.Injured: James Ward-ProwseDoubtful: NoneUnavailable: NoneUnai Simon is at the OlympicsAthletic BilbaoAthletic Bilbao have a fully-fit squad and are likely to name a strong team for this match. Unai Simon is representing Spain at the Olympics and will be excluded from the squad.Injured: NoneDoubtful: NoneUnavailable: Unai SimonSouthampton vs Athletic Bilbao Predicted XISouthampton Predicted XI (4-4-2): Alex McCarthy; Yan Valery, Jan Bednarek, Jannik Vestergaard, Romain Perraud; Theo Walcott, Stuart Armstrong, Oriol Romeu, Moussa Djenepo; Michael Obafemi, Shane Long👏 So close! 😍#AthleticClub fans, together with the first team at Lezama. 🔴⚪️ 𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗔𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰 pic.twitter.com/jiAlM8xuWG— Athletic Club (@Athletic_en) August 5, 2021Athletic Bilbao Predicted XI (4-4-2): Julen Agirrezabala; Oscar De Marcos, Yeray Alvarez, Inigo Martinez, Mikel Balenziaga; Nico Williams, Oihan Sancet, Unai Vencedor, Jon Morcillo; Raul Garcia, Asier VillalibreSouthampton vs Athletic Bilbao PredictionSouthampton have a point to prove in the Premier League this season and will need to step up in this match. With Danny Ings now unavailable, the Saints will have to work on their attacking setup ahead of the new season.Athletic Bilbao were inconsistent at best last year and have a fair share of problems to solve this year. Both teams are on an even footing at the moment and are likely to play out a draw this weekend.Prediction: Southampton 1-1 Athletic BilbaoAlso Read: Fabrizio Romano's Transfer Roundup: Chelsea's plans for the transfer window, Arsenal complete signing and more