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Barca to begin La Liga title defence at Bilbao

MADRID (Reuters) - Champions Barcelona will begin their bid for a sixth Spanish league title in eight years when they play at Athletic Bilbao on the weekend of Aug. 22-23, while Real Madrid travel to promoted Sporting Gijon, Tuesday's La Liga draw revealed.

Barca, who won a treble of Champions League and domestic league and Cup titles last season, also play Bilbao over two legs for the season-opening Spanish Super Cup.

The first leg is at the San Mames on Aug. 14 and the return at the Nou Camp three days later, the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) said.

Barca and Real clash in the first 'Clasico' of the La Liga campaign at Real's Bernabeu stadium the weekend of Nov. 7-8, with Barca hosting their arch rivals, who finished two points adrift in second last term, at the beginning of April.

Unlike in other top European leagues, the Spanish league typically publishes exact dates and kickoff times only a couple of weeks before each matchday.

Barca will play La Liga rivals Sevilla, the Europa League champions, in the European Super Cup in the Georgian capital Tbilisi on Aug. 11.

(Reporting by Iain Rogers, editing by Toby Davis)