The victory in Zorrilla also allowed Athletic to rediscover its good feelings for what was to come. However, the margin of error in La Liga is still small to fight for the honorable positions in the table.
Villarreal’s victory at Iruña keeps Valverde’s men five points clear of Europe, but at least the lions don’t drop out of the fight for continental places. In fact, the last day allowed the rojiblancos, with their victory in Pucela, to reach the seventh position.
Athletic have already passed Osasuna in the table, who fell into the yellow submarine, and Rayo Vallecano, who failed to get past Girona. If Valverde’s team reaches the Cup final and maintains this position in the league, they will get the European ticket to the Conference League. Too bad there are still twelve days left to finish the championship.
show the cup
The rojiblancos’ next official commitment is against Getafe in San Mamés. Due to the crowded table, you will not be disappointed, especially at home. This will not be easy for two main reasons
The first is that Sánchez Flores’ men have scored just ten of the last 15 points and are in a sweet moment of the season. The second is that the attention of the lions will be transferred to the party of the cupbearer.
History has taught us that it is difficult for this team to maintain regularity in a short space of time between one rivalry and another. With only three days difference between the commitment of the league and KO, the normal thing is that Valverde has stored some ammunition to fight for the Cup title in La Cartuja. Paris costs a mass.
The illusion for another final is at a crescendo. You just have to see that people pay up to 440 euros for a ticket in the BAT area of San Mamés. This gives the right to drink and dine in this reserved VIP, but even this is not a suitable price for all pockets.
Osasuna, nobody knows
If Athletic are struggling to maintain level in the two competitions at this point in the Cup, what can we say about the rival, the ‘outsider’. Illusion has a positive side, but it also brings a great amount of pressure and distraction. It seems no coincidence that since the first leg of the Cup semifinal at El Sadar, Jagoba Arrasate’s men have added just one point out of a possible nine playing two games at home, against Villarreal and Celta. They lost at home to the Mestalla, where Valencia weren’t too scary either.
Without being on top form, the Lions have picked up four points in nine since the cup clash, playing two of those games away from home. The San Mamés game was also against Barca and we all saw what happened.
I don’t think this is significant, but it marks a trend. Athletic managed to park the Cup, for now, although it does not guarantee anything for the second leg of the semifinals at La Catedral. Sunday to gain momentum. It is the calm before the storm.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
