A full house in Lezama is now guaranteed for the Biscayan derby of the Primera RFEF between Bilbao Athletic and Barakaldo. Both teams, new to the category after their respective promotions at the end of last season, are going through different situations. The boys are fighting to get out of the relegation zone. Factories, on the other hand, remain steadfast in the fight for top positions. The clash will start at 12 noon.
Athletic usually does not give any information about the status of the players that make up Jonkin Aranbarri’s squad. The only thing known this week is that both Mikel Santos, goalkeeper, and Peio Canales, midfielder, are part of the Athletic expedition sent to Saudi Arabia for the semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup. Valverde, in any case, did not use the services of any of them in the said match against Barça.
From there everything is possible in a red-and-white reserve team where players appear and disappear quite often. The Cubs have played nine home games with a record of two wins, three draws and four losses.
Respect the rival
Imanol de la Sota, coach of Barakaldo, returned to Lezama to be on the visiting bench, something that happened to him last season. Coach Gualdinegro, who has a past as a red and white coach, acknowledges that this is “a bit of a special match, but nothing more. Once the ball starts rolling, everyone will focus on what they are doing and do it as long as can. I have experienced things there and many players from Bilbao Athletic and Athletic I have worked with.”
The coach of the factory group assures that “there will be a good atmosphere with two good teams. Last month they deserved more because they fought so well, but maybe because of the issue of places, so important in this category, they didn’t add more. Bilbao Athletic is growing and we have to be ready and mentally focused because it will be a very difficult game.
Barakaldo has the possibility of finishing second in the table at home with a win at Lezama.
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.
