Villarreal: Schedule and where to watch the game and possible lineups
Athletic Club hopes to end its bad league streak of ten games without winning and four defeats in a row, and incidentally cheer up facing the semifinal round of Thursday's Cup in Granada, against a Villarreal who looks at Europe as few times before in So far this season.
The rojiblanco team has fallen a lot in the table until it is in its worst position of the course, the eleventh, and has the European positions already far away and at the same distance of the descent, 9 points, after adding only 5 of the last 30 points in dispute.
However, football Bilbao is willing to play everything to the Cup against the great occasion that is presented to the 'lions', with the advantage of 1-0 of the first leg in San Mamés and without almost impossible opponents on the other side of the picture.
Therefore, despite this bad streak, the clash will start with the intention of the public of La Catedral to say goodbye to theirs so that they can assert the minimum, but important, advantage on Thursday in Los Cármenes.
That transcendental match is precisely four days later can make tomorrow's meeting also a general rehearsal for Los Cármenes. If he had less recovery time, perhaps Gaizka Garitano would consider receiving Villarreal with his second unit. Something that, anyway, can also happen.
Possible alignment of Athletic in his match against Villarreal
The intentions of the Derio coach can begin to guess based on whether or not Dani García starts, half head center and one of his most trusted men, although low by penalty on Thursday. Who will be his substitute in the Nasrid field is the great unknown since the first leg for the 'athletizales' fans.
Another question for tomorrow is whether Garitano will maintain the system with three centrals, with which the sensations have not been bad but he has not yet won in LaLiga.
To do so, as expected for Granada, and if the Vizcaino coach maintains his Plan A, the eleven could be the one composed by Unai Simón; Capa, Yeray, Unai Núñez, Iñigo Martínez, Yuri; Dani García, Vesga; Muniain, Raúl García and Williams.
The only doubts are whether he will take the opportunity to test the replacement of Dani García, in principle Mikel San José or Unai López, or if either of them will enter for an irrelevant Mikel Vesga in the last meetings. The option of the 'puppy' Unai Vencedor is excluded, outside the call.
Garitano could also give some rest to important players with a lot of wear and tear from the last two months, such as Yuri Berchiche, Iker Muniain, Raúl García or Iñaki Williams. All, anyway, cited for the match.
Possible alignment of Villarreal in his match against Athletic
Villarreal, meanwhile, comes to this match after the defeat in the Wanda Metropolitano that prevented him from reaching the Champions League places, and also took them out of European positions.
The Spaniards broke with that defeat a good run of results at home, three wins and a consecutive draw, which had allowed them to return to the top positions of the table.
Therefore, and after losing to the Atlético de Madrid, the yellows hope to regain their good feelings in the second consecutive game away from the Ceramics Stadium and re-engage in the noble zone of the classification.
The team led by Javier Calleja arrives in Bilbao without casualties, after last week the defender Pau Torres and the side Alberto Moreno returned to eleven. Who, after a month out of the team, made headlines.
The coach has summoned a total of 19 players and has ruled out the Barbosa, Chakla and Manu Morlanes call.
Possible alignments
Athletic Club: Unai Simón; Capa, Yeray, Unai Núñez, Iñigo Martínez, Yuri; Dani García, Vesga; Muniain, Raúl García and Williams.
Villarreal: Asenjo; Rubén Peña, Albiol, Pau Torres, Alberto Moreno; Iborra, Trigueros; Cazorla, Moi Gómez, Gerard Moreno; Paco Alcacer.
Stadium: San Mamés.
Referee: David Medié Jiménez (Catalan Committee).
Timetable and where to watch the game
VAR Referee: Jesús Gil Manzano (Extremadura Committee).
Time: 14.00
Television: Gol.
