Athletic Club's League Focus Before Anoeta Comeback Mission
Ernesto Valverde's side shift attention to La Liga fixtures against relegation battlers before their crucial Copa del Rey semi-final second leg against Real Sociedad.
Athletic Club temporarily park their Copa del Rey ambitions as they focus on turning around their league form, with three crucial fixtures before their difficult second leg comeback mission at Anoeta on March 4th.
League regeneration the priority
After a disappointing run of just one win from their last five La Liga outings, Athletic are looking to use the coming weeks to steady their league ship. Valverde’s men sit six points behind the coveted sixth position, which would represent European qualification - a proper result for the Basque outfit.
The fixture list has been relatively kind to Athletic, serving up three opponents all currently below them in the table:
- Oviedo (February 15th) - currently bottom of the table
- Elche (February 20th)
- Rayo Vallecano (February 28th) - occupying the final relegation spot
This run provides a golden opportunity for Los Leones to build momentum before their cup showdown. Their local rivals Real Sociedad currently hold a three-point advantage over Athletic in the league standings, adding extra spice to their upcoming cup battle.
The Anoeta challenge
When Athletic do return to cup matters, they’ll face the daunting task of overturning their first-leg deficit at Anoeta - a ground where they haven’t won since March 2017. That particular victory came with a 2-0 scoreline, which would be enough to send them through to the final this time around.
However, their recent record at La Real’s home ground makes for grim reading: five defeats and three draws from their last eight visits, with 9 goals scored and 15 conceded. It’s going to be a proper uphill struggle.
Historical context
The stats don’t make for happy reading for Athletic supporters. In their previous four Copa del Rey finals, Athletic never lost the first leg of their semi-final ties against Atlético Madrid, Levante, Granada and Espanyol - winning two and drawing two.
The Bilbao boys will need to buck this trend if they’re to book another date at La Cartuja, where Barcelona and Atlético Madrid will contest the other final spot. It’s squeaky bum time in the cup, but for now, all eyes on sorting out that league form.