The calendar always becomes very demanding at the beginning of the year, when LaLiga coincides with the Cup. On this occasion, Athletic has also played the Super Cup as a finalist in last season's KO tournament, for which they have accumulated a large number of encounters since Marcelino
Garcia
Toral took over the team after the dismissal of Gaizka
Garitano after the match against Elche in San Mamés.
The Asturian coach led his first game against the rojiblancos on January 6, against Barça in San Mamés (2-3), and from there have been another 17 games until last Saturday, when the lions received Eibar in San Mamés in the Jª 28 of the League.
They have been 74 very intense days, an average of one game every four days. In this period, the rojiblancos have played eleven commitments of the regularity tournament, five in the Cup and two in the Super Cup, with a balance of 8 victories, 7 draws (one of them was against Betis in the Cup, solved by penalties in favor of Bilbao) and 3 defeats.
After the 1-1 draw against the gunsmiths, the lions have two weeks to prepare for the Cup final against Real Sociedad to be played on April 3 in La Cartuja. Then they will have to play two league dates (another two derbies against San Sebastian and Alavés) before facing Barça in the second Cup final, on the 17th also at La Cartuja.