Lions at the Crossroads: Athletic Club's European Quest Hangs in the Balance
Athletic Club find themselves five points adrift of European spots as La Liga resumes, with a tricky run of fixtures ahead that could define their season.
Athletic Club’s European ambitions face a stern test as they return from Supercopa duties with ground to make up in La Liga’s congested mid-table battle.
Watching from the sofa
While the rest of La Liga gets stuck in this weekend, Athletic’s players will be putting their feet up in front of the telly, having already played their Matchday 19 fixture against Real Madrid earlier to accommodate their Supercopa commitments.
That defeat to Los Blancos means Ernesto Valverde’s men will be keeping a close eye on results elsewhere – particularly those affecting the European places they’re desperate to secure for a third consecutive season.
Five-point gap opens up
The weekend’s action will leave Athletic sitting five points behind sixth-placed Real Betis, who currently occupy the final European qualification spot. There was actually a small silver lining for the Basque side when Betis stumbled against Oviedo, only managing to salvage a draw thanks to Lo Celso’s late equaliser.
Squeezed in the middle
The congestion in La Liga’s mid-table is absolutely mental right now:
- From Betis (29 points) downward, there’s a cluster of teams separated by just three points
- Athletic find themselves in this crowded “middle class” of Spanish football
- Remarkably, the relegation zone is actually closer to Athletic than the top five are
Form needs fixing, sharpish
The Lions’ recent league form has been proper pants, with just one win from their last five La Liga outings. Even more concerning, three of those matches ended in defeat.
They’ll need to sort themselves out quickly when they return to league action next week with a tricky away trip to Mallorca.
Cup comes first
Before that league fixture, however, Athletic face Cultural Leonesa away in the Copa del Rey round of 32 on Tuesday. Valverde will need to carefully manage his squad, particularly regarding Yuri Berchiche’s return from injury, as the team enters a crucial fortnight.
Following the cup tie, Athletic face a demanding schedule combining La Liga and Champions League duties. Their European campaign could still bear fruit if they can overcome Atalanta in their upcoming continental clash.
The pressure’s mounting on the Basques – time to separate the men from the boys.