Athletic Bilbao host Valencia on Sunday afternoon with both teams still carrying something tangible into the final stretch of the La Liga season. Athletic are eighth and level on points with seventh-placed Getafe, while Valencia sit 12th and only three points above the relegation zone.
The match gives Athletic a chance to keep pushing for Europe after their 4-2 win over Alaves, a result built around Nico Williams’ two goals and a strike from Robert Navarro. They have 44 points from 34 matches and are three points behind Celta Vigo in sixth and nine adrift of fifth-placed Real Betis, so there is little margin for error if they are to stay in the race.
San Mames has given Athletic a platform all season. They have collected 29 points from 17 home league matches, and that return matters now because their league position has been tight for weeks. Their campaign also carried the extra weight of a 29th-place finish in the league phase of this season’s Champions League, which left domestic qualification through La Liga as the practical path back into Europe.
Valencia arrive with a different kind of pressure. They were beaten 2-0 at home by Atletico Madrid last time out, but they did end April with a 2-1 win over Girona at Mestalla. Their away form remains the problem: they have taken only 13 points from 17 La Liga fixtures on the road, and their last away win at Athletic came in September 2019.
The recent record in this fixture offers little comfort to Valencia. Athletic won the reverse game 2-1 earlier this season, and Valencia have lost three of their last four matches against the Basque side. That history leaves little room for optimism in a match that could quickly become a test of nerve if the visitors fall behind early.
Athletic still need a late fitness check on Benat Prados, while Navarro is expected to start after scoring against Alaves. Williams, who netted twice in that match, will look to finish the season strongly as Athletic try to keep pace with the teams above them.
Valencia’s selection picture is more complicated. Mouctar Diakhaby, Dimitri Foulquier, Copete, Thierry Correia and Julen Agirrezabala are ruled out, Lucas Beltran is a major doubt, and Carlos Corberan could make three changes from the side that started against Atletico Madrid. Those absences narrow his options at a point in the season when every point matters twice over.
That is why this is not just another late-season fixture. Athletic are still chasing the kind of results that could keep their European hopes alive, while Valencia are trying to stay clear of danger despite sitting only five points off seventh-placed Getafe and a Conference League playoff place. The table leaves both sides with something to lose, and Sunday afternoon may tell us which pressure is heavier.
