San Mamés raised the competitive curtain again today. Continuous session at rojiblanco stadium. First, this afternoon in the League against Getafe. Later, Tuesday night in the Cup against Osasuna. Two stakes that will largely mark the final stretch of Athletic’s season.
It remains to be seen what Valverde’s intention is to face this double stake, but according to his words it seems that he will save nothing in this clash of the domestic tournament against the team of Quique Sánchez Flores. The azulones arrive at the appointment full of morale after a competitive break prompted by various commitments at the national team level. The match will start at 4:15 pm under the arbitration of Javier Iglesias Villanueva, from the Galician Committee, with Estrada Fernández on VAR.
Athletic are fully aware of what is at stake this afternoon and next Tuesday. His coach, in any case, made it clear in the Lezama press room that the best way to face the second leg of the Cup semifinal against Osasuna, with 1-0 down after the rivalry in El Sadar, is to give continuity in the three points conquered in Valladolid.
Sometimes
The coach from Gasteiz wants to add another victory, this time in front of a crowd that is very excited about the possibility of the lions once again qualifying for another Cup final. Valverde’s message, in any case, is nothing but time to time. First things first.
While waiting to know what their true intentions are, the truth is that the starting team should not be different from the one that started a few weeks ago in Zorrilla. Unai Simón, it is true, was part of those called up, but he has been out of competition for more than a month due to injury and Agirrezabala, his replacement, responded competently to the challenge. The under-21 international is also Valverde’s goalkeeper of choice for the Cup, so it doesn’t make much sense to leave him on the bench now.
It also remains to be seen if the rojiblanco coach focuses on a replacement in the axis of the rear, keeping the double pivot formed by Dani García and Vesga and continuing to trust Guruzeta to exercise in attack.
Distance is a tough opponent
Getafe arrived in San Mamés rested and full of morale after their victory over Sevilla and put themselves three points above the relegation places. The team of Quique Sánchez Flores, who at certain moments of the season were questioned by the fans of the Coliseum, has lost only one game so far in the second round.
His twelve trips to the league charted a significant trajectory. The azulones fell by a landslide in their first two outings and since then only Sevilla and Cádiz have scored more than one goal against them. The Madrid side beat Osasuna (0-2) and Elche (0-1) away and drew with Vallecas (0-0), Balaídos (1-1), Metropolitano (1-1) and Cádiz (2-2) ). Their defeats from the Coliseum came against Girona (3-1), Valencia (5-1), Almería (1-0), Seville (2-1), Barcelona (1-0) and Villarreal (2-1 ). Quique usually uses a system with a defensive five and Enes Unal arrived at the appointment in good condition despite the muscle problems suffered during his stay in Turkey.
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.
