While there is life there is hope. Athletic and Valladolid could well take advantage of this old saying given the league confrontation that both will hold today in San Mamés from 7:00 p.m. under the arbitration of Cordero Vega, of the Cantabrian Committee. The Marcelino and Europe team sounds more like utopia than reality, but mathematically nothing can be ruled out yet. The whole of Sergio and salvation, despite now appearing in the relegation zone, is much more affordable.
Athletic arrives emotionally reinforced at this appointment postponed in its day due to the dispute in the Cup final against Barça. TAfter that second setback in the KO tournament, the lions took a point from Villamarín and defeated the Atlético leader in the rojiblanco stadium itself. Four points harvested with many of the usual substitutes. A palpable demonstration that the rojiblancos can also compete without players of the importance of Yeray, Yuri, Muniain, Williams and Raúl García, among others, in the starting eleven.
We will have to wait and see what the intentions are for this duel. Starting with two safe casualties compared to his last eleven. Capa is injured and Vencedor is suspended. According to their substitutes against Athletic, the relief should come from Lekue and Vesga. Marcelino, by the way, has summoned Nico Williams and Aitor Paredes, both from the subsidiary.
Marcelino, in any case, wanted to wait until the end of yesterday's afternoon training session to decide whether to shoot the same block that knocked down the leader or, for reasons of wear and tear and recovery, to dose efforts. The lions, it is true, will not compete again until next Monday, when the surprising Seville of Lopetegui, in full conflict with the three regulars above, awaits him at the Pizjuán.
To San Mamés, meanwhile, Valladolid arrives that appears third to last in the table and that if they won today in Bilbao they would leave behind both Elche, who takes them one point, and Alavés, two more. Sergio's team is the king of the Primera tie. The albivioletas accumulate 14 tables so far in the League, 9 of them 1-1, the result that has so disgusted Marcelino since he has been Athletic's coach.
The pucelanos, by the way, have yielded 13 points in the last ten minutes of the game. Kenan Kodro, can not play with visitors when applying the so-called fear clause in its condition of loan.