Athletic is now looking at just one date and one place: April 6 and Seville

Athletic can now focus on the most important goal of the season. When the Santiago Bernabéu league match was played yesterday, all eyes were on one date and one place, April 6 and Seville. From now on there is only one thing to think about, the Cup final against Mallorca.

“There is no doubt that the mind is already set on Saturday, in the excitement of all Bizkaia. “We will try to prepare the game well,” he said yesterday. Mikel Vesga at the end of the clash against Real Madrid.

In the other finals, it was Athletic’s roots that pushed them to win the title they had been fighting for for 40 years. Gasteiztarra is optimistic in this sense. “The team has taken a step of maturity, we have learned. The dynamic is different now, the team is confident and prepared,” he added.

The last two finals played at La Cartuja were played without an audience due to the pandemic. This time, it’s different. “We know what this match in Bilbao means. This year is special because we will play it with our audience.”

Mallorca will be a tough nut to crack. The Bilbao team starts with a certain favoritism, but the Balearic Islands eliminated Girona and Real Sociedad in the two previous rounds. “We will trust what the coach tells us. Mallorca is not going to surprise us, they are a tough team, very well planted on the field, very hard…” he added. Vesga He does not consider Athletic favourites: “They are good rivals and anything can happen in a match.”

Inigo Lekue Think the team came prepared. “We don’t have more pressure than Mallorca or more than in other finals,” he said in the Bernabéu mixed zone. Deustuarra also doesn’t see a problem with too much optimism. “Excess and optimism don’t work. All optimism is good, I don’t think we’re going too far in this case.”