Athletic Club vs Eibar match preview and predictions for Saturday’s LaLiga match. Read on for the head-to-head, team news and predicted lineups ahead of this Basque derby.
| Date | Saturday 20th March 2021 |
| Kick-Off | 14:00 (local time) |
| Stadium | San Mames |
| Competition | LaLiga |
Athletic Club vs Eibar Preview
Saturday’s action in LaLiga kicks off with a Basque derby at San Mames. It’s Athletic’s final match before they take on Real Sociedad in the much delayed Copa del Rey Final in Seville after the international break. They’ll want a positive result to ensure they carry momentum into that game.
Athletic’s fine progress under Marcelino is well documented. They’ve only lost to Barcelona and Atletico Madrid during his tenure but their hopes of qualifying for Europe via the league have been hampered by a few too many draws. Indeed they’ve won just 2 of their last 11 matches inside 90 minutes and have only taken 1 point from their last 2 league games.
Clearly the priority over the next month or so is going to be those two cup Finals which offer Athletic the chance to do something truly historic. Even if they only win one of them, that’d still signal the first time since the mid 1980’s that they’ve won one of Spain’s two major trophies. With the international break following this match, they’ve no real reason to rest players here though with few Athletic players heading off anywhere over the next fortnight.
They won’t expect any favours from an Eibar side that is fighting for their lives though. While José Luis Mendilibar may travel more in hope than expectation, you can be sure he will drill into his players the need to play with intensity and take advantage if there is even the hint of a drop-off or fear of getting injured in the Athletic camp.
Eibar now look in real danger of dropping down to the Segunda Division. They’ve not won since January 3rd in LaLiga and it’s just 3 points from their last 10 games overall. They are just one place off the bottom of the Spanish top flight now and significantly they have played a host of their fellow relegation strugglers in recent weeks, failing to beat any of them.
Head to Head
- Last 6 Competitive Meetings: 2 Athletic Wins, 4 Draws.
- Athletic won the reverse fixture 2-1 earlier this term.
- Including regular friendlies, Athletic haven’t lost any of the last 13 meetings.
- The last meeting at San Mames ended 0-0 in December 2019.
Team News
Inigo Martinez returns from a ban for Athletic and should start in central defence. They have few selection issues.
Pedro Bigas is out for Eibar while left-back Jose Angel is a doubt.
Predicted Athletic Starting Lineup:
Simon – Berchiche, Martinez, Yeray, Capa – Muniain, Vesga, Lopez, Berenguer – Garcia, Williams (4-4-2)
Predicted Eibar Starting Lineup:
Dmitrovic – Soares, Arbilla, Oliveira, Pozo – Gil, Exposito, Diop, Leon – Enrich, Garcia (4-4-2)
Athletic Club vs Eibar Predictions
LaLiga Expert Predicts: Athletic Club 2-0 Eibar (follow us on Tipstrr to view our betting tips)
These are dark times for Eibar and sadly it’s looking like this may well be the end of their incredible stint in LaLiga. A shock win at San Mames could prove a turning point but it’s hard to see it and an Athletic side that is playing for cup Final places ought to get the job done with relative comfort.
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