Athletic Bilbao vs Levante – News and Probable Lineups

Athletic Bilbao aims to achieve their first La Liga victory since early December as they host Levante at San Mames this Sunday.

The hosts currently sit 11th in the La Liga standings, trailing sixth-placed Espanyol by nine points, while Levante occupies the 19th spot, five points adrift of 17th-placed Getafe.

Match overview

Athletic has recorded seven wins, four draws, and 11 losses across their 22 league fixtures this season, accumulating 25 points and placing them just three points above the relegation zone, while being a considerable 10 points behind the top five.

The Lions find themselves 17 points off fourth-placed Villarreal and have not celebrated a victory in Spain’s top division since their 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid in early December.

However, Ernesto Valverde’s squad comes into this match following a victory, having defeated Valencia 2-1 in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals on Wednesday night.

The number of games Athletic has played this season has greatly influenced their league performance; nevertheless, their Champions League campaign ended early, meaning they will focus solely on domestic matches for the remainder of the season.

When playing at home, Athletic has only managed the 13th-best record in Spain’s top flight this season, with 17 points from 11 matches and five wins overall.

On the other hand, Levante has achieved four wins, six draws, and 11 defeats from their 21 league matches, leaving them in 19th place with 18 points.

Levante was eliminated from the Copa del Rey in mid-December, leading to their last six fixtures being solely in La Liga, where they have secured two wins, three draws, and one defeat.

Under Luis Castro, the Frogs have gathered momentum, recently drawing 0-0 against Atletico Madrid, following a 3-2 victory over Elche on January 23, which means they have claimed four points from their last two encounters in Spain’s top flight.

Historically, Levante has prevailed in only eight of their previous 37 meetings against Athletic in all competitions, with the Lions winning the earlier encounter this season 2-0.

The Frogs last triumphed over Athletic in December 2018, and their most recent away victory against the Basque team was a 3-1 win back in April 2018.

Athletic Bilbao La Liga form:

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Athletic Bilbao form (all competitions):

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Levante La Liga form:

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Team News

Athletic will be missing Maroan Sannadi, Benat Prados, Unai Egiluz, and Oihan Sancet on Sunday due to injuries, while Alex Berenguer and Dani Vivian are significant doubts for the match against Levante.

Nico Williams and Inaki Williams provided a boost off the bench to help Athletic secure their victory over Valencia in the Copa del Rey and are expected to start in this match.

Gorka Guruzeta is likely to be included in the attack, while Mikel Jauregizar is set to play centrally for the Basque club.

For Levante, Unai Vencedor won’t be able to compete against his parent club, and both Roger Brugue and Victor Garcia are sidelined with injuries.

Unai Elgezabal and Diego Pampin may face late fitness assessments.

There remains ongoing speculation regarding Etta Eyong’s future at Levante, and the forward, who has attracted interest from several prominent European clubs, will again be a key figure in the attacking lineup.

Athletic Bilbao probable starting XI:

Simon; Areso, Paredes, Laporte, Berchiche; Ruiz de Galarreta, Palace; I Williams, Gomez, N Williams; the cross

Levante probable starting XI:

Ryan; Toljan, De la Fuente, Matturro, Sanchez; Martinez, Raghouber; Tunde, Alvarez, Romero; Eyong

This is a challenging match to predict, as Levante is performing well and will likely be the more rested side. Nevertheless, the home advantage could help Athletic secure a crucial win.