Athletic returns to San Mamés before the forced league break. The lions, with the Cup final against Real just around the corner, receive a visit from Eibar harassed by the need to score points to get out of the relegation zone. This new derby starts at 2:00 p.m. under the arbitration of Pizarro Gómez (Madrid Committee) with Mateu Lahoz (Valencian Committee) in the VAR.
Marcelino does not trust the qualifying situation. Does well. Mendilibar's team appears as the second to last in the qualifying table, but its position does not correspond to the level of competitiveness that it usually shows day after day.
The gunsmiths have never won in San Mamés in the League. His six visits are divided equally between home wins and draws. Last season's game ended 0-0. The lions barely had a chance to score in that home game.
The Athletic coach insists that both he and his players are focused solely and exclusively on this afternoon's clash. The first is the first. According to Marcelino's words, there is no reason to think that he will reserve pieces for the Cup final.
Except for Nolaskoain, all the lions are at the coach's disposal. Iñigo Martínez thus returns to the call and surely to the starting eleven after completing his four games of sanction for the already distant expulsion against Levante in the League. The main doubts regarding the possible alignment of the Bilbao team once again focus on the right-hand side and the double pivot.
De Marcos has been exercising lately as a right defender with Capa, who comes out of a slight injury, and Lekue waiting. In the media, it is usually Unai López and Vesga who act for a while in the most important meetings. The rest of the team, except for the unexpected at the last minute, will be made up of the usual Unai Simón; Yeray, Iñigo Martínez, Yuri; Berenguer, Muniain; Raúl García and Williams.
-Mendilibar, with more casualties-
Everything indicates that Mendilibar, as is usual when he plays in Bilbao, will bet on the 1-4-4-2 classic. It remains to be known which eleven will put the one from Zaldibar into the fray, since yesterday the casualties of Cote and Edu Expósito were transcended. Soares and Aleix García could enter through them. The gunsmith roster is made up of 20 players, with homegrown players Dufur and Unai Arietaleanizbeaskoa included.