Levante face daunting San Mamés trip in latest 'Tourmalet' challenge
Valencia's struggling side travel to Bilbao with a dismal record at Athletic's ground, kicking off a brutal February fixture list in their fight for La Liga survival.
The Granotas face another uphill battle in their desperate scrap for Primera División survival as they head to the Basque Country this Sunday for a proper Bobby Dazzler of a challenge.
San Mamés Struggles
Levante’s record at Athletic Bilbao’s modern San Mamés stadium makes for grim reading. Since the ground’s 2013 opening, they’ve managed just a solitary victory from eight visits – a crucial 3-1 comeback win during the 2017/18 campaign when Bardhi’s brace and a late Morales strike proved vital in their survival bid that season.
Beyond that lone triumph, it’s been nothing but misery in Bilbao for the Valencia-based outfit:
- Seven consecutive league defeats at San Mamés
- A solitary 1-1 draw in Copa del Rey semifinals (2021) provides the only other positive result
- Athletic, currently chasing Champions League qualification under Ernesto Valverde, enter as heavy favourites
February Fixture Nightmare
This Bilbao battle marks just the beginning of what looks like a brutal month ahead for Luis Castro’s men. Their February calendar reads like a who’s who of Spanish football’s elite:
- Athletic Club (away) - February 4th
- Valencia (home) - February 15th - Valencian derby at Orriols
- Villarreal (home) - February 18th - Rescheduled match after red alert weather
- Barcelona (away) - February 22nd - Trip to Camp Nou
- Potentially Alavés at home, depending on scheduling
It’s no wonder the Spanish press have dubbed this run a “Tourmalet” – borrowing cycling’s famous mountain challenge as metaphor for the uphill climb facing Levante.
For a side desperately fighting for top-flight survival, navigating this fixture list will require something special. The question is whether Castro’s troops can summon the same spirit that delivered that rare 2018 victory in Bilbao, or if they’ll be left stranded at the foot of the mountain.