A week ago, the Basques achieved a huge success, winning the final of the Spanish Cup by defeating Mallorca in the decisive match. It was a historic success for the Basques, but in the league, the future hosts of the field are battling Atletico for a place in the Champions League zone and definitely do not want to lose this battle. It’s worth noting that before the start of Saturday’s fixtures, Athletic occupies the fifth position, with 56 points, two less than Atletico. Athletic’s home statistics rank fifth in the division, with +11=3-1, and a goal difference of 36:14. In Sunday’s match, Athletic will be without Galarreta.
Villarreal will be without Bai, Coquelin, Pino, Suarez, and Foyth on Sunday, with the participation of Rulli and Trigueros in the game being questionable. In the previous round, Villarreal lost to Athletic at their home ground, a direct competitor to Athletic. Before the defeat to Athletic, Villarreal had a 3-match winning streak in two tournaments, but they eventually were eliminated from the Europa League. The guests’ focus is on La Liga, but they have a 7-point gap from Betis, located in seventh place, and have a game in hand. Potentially, Villarreal still has a chance to rise in the Europa League zone, but to do this, they need to overtake not only Sevilla but also Valencia and Osasuna. Villarreal’s away statistics rank sixth in the division, with +5=4-5, and a goal difference of 22:27.
