It is sixth versus seventh in La Liga on Sunday when sixth-placed Athletic Bilbao welcome seventh-placed Villarreal to the San Mames Barrie Stadium at 18:30 GMT, as the two sides seek to get the three points they need to climb the table into the Champions League places.
Match Preview
Can Athletic Bilbao End their Four-Match Winless with Victory on Sunday?
Ernesto Valverde’s charges have hit a tough run of form, and they are winless in four outings in La Liga. The San Mames side will be looking to regain their winning touch when they host Villarreal on Sunday.
Valverde will focus on the intensity and compactness of his side when they host Villarreal. The emphasis will be on finding the right balance between attack and defence to ensure that the team can be robust.
Bilbao have lost this balance in recent matches, which has led to massive dropped points. Valverde will be urging his charges to regain the intensity and tempo they need to bolster their results.
Can Villarreal Regain the Consistency they need to Trouble the Top of the Table?
After the exit of Unai Emery, Villarreal have appointed Quique Setién to take over at the helm and drive the team for the rest of the season. His first task will be to get the team ready for the clash away to Athletic Club on Sunday.
After an encouraging start to the season, Villarreal’s form has tapered in recent matches. Quique Setién will seek to regain the cutting edge and consistency for Villarreal, starting with this weekend’s clash with Athletic Bilbao.
The priority will be on the solidity of the side’s defensive structure, which was struggling in the last few games under Emery.
Form Guide
Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Club have had an inconsistent start to the season; they have won five times, drawn three times, and lost thrice in their opening 11 rounds of La Liga outings.
Valverde’s charges have scored 19 goals and conceded 12 goals. This underscores their challenge with solidity in defence as they have dropped points from winning positions. They have collected 18 points out of the available 33.
In their last five outings in La Liga, Valverde’s men have won just once. They have lost twice and drawn twice in this run. They have collected 5 points and dropped 10 in the process.
Villarreal
Villarreal’s start to the season has been inconsistent. They have won five times, drawn three matches, and lost three. They have scored 14 goals and conceded 7.
Although their attack has not been prolific, conceding 7 goals highlights their defensive solidity. They have collected 18 points from the available 33. They currently sit 7th on the log, 13 points behind league leaders Real Madrid.
In their last five outings, Villarreal have won twice, drawn once, and lost two times. They have collected 7 points and dropped 8 in the process.
Possible Starting Lineups
Athletic Bilbao
U. Simon; Y. Berchiche, I. Martinez, Y. Alvarez, O. de Marcos; A. Herrera, M. Vesga; Alex Berenguer, O. Zarraga, N. Williams; I. Williams
Villarreal
G. Rulli; A. Mandi, R. Albiol, P. Torres, J. Mojica; D. Parejo, F. Coquelin; S. Chukwueza, A. Baena, A. Moreno; J. Morales
Players to Watch
N. Williams
Nico Williams has 11 appearances for Athletic Club this term; he has grabbed three goals in this run. His importance in the Athletic attack is underscored by his goal-scoring as well as creativity, he has contributed to 3 assists.
His work rate and pressing are important for Athletic’s approach to games. He helps them to pressure the opposition from the front foot and win the ball higher up the pitch.
Williams will be important to the San Mames side on Sunday.
A. Baena
With eight goals and one assist in 15 appearances for Villarreal, Baena is increasingly becoming the most important player for Villarreal in La Liga.
Baena will be crucial in the clash against Athletic as his side seek to regain the consistency in performances and results they need to climb the table closer to the Champions League places.
Prediction
Athletic Bilbao will look to dominate the match by playing on the front foot, pressing, and dictating the tempo of the match through their passing in midfield.
Villarreal will seek to remain compact and pragmatic in their approach. They will defend in numbers while using transitions during possession turnover to pose a threat to Athletic.
Athletic will win the match and take the three points up for grabs.
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