Athletic Bilbao v Real Mallorca
Playing For Their European Lives
Had Athletic Bilbao been offered the chance to be trailing the fourth placed club in La Primera Division by six points with only four matches of the season remaining, they would probably have taken that at the beginning of the season. Los Leones are still in with an outside shot at the Champions League and can seriously enhance their continental prospects if they defeat Mallorca, said fourth placed club, on Sunday night.
San Mames is normally one of the great fortresses of Spanish football; an intimidating venue made all the worse for visiting sides by the passion and noise of the home fans, as well as they physical, bustling style play of its inhabitants. These attributes weren’t exactly to the fore when Zaragoza picked up a tame scoreless draw at the venue a fortnight ago, so los Leones have something of a point to prove against los Barralets.
Last weekend the Bilbao club again registered another no-scoring draw, this time against Osasuna, leaving them with only five points from their previous five games, and slowly dropping off the crucial pace.
“The players are very ambitious,” coach Joaquin Caparros said after last weekend’s draw. “We have six points to play for at home and will look win both games. We will try to do things well.
“There are many points to play for and we’ve had many years in this type of situation. We have mathematical options and it will be exciting playing for that it at San Mames.”
Sunday’s fixture could prove pivotal; win and the sky is the limit, but lose and watch dreams of Europe quickly fade.
Get It Done And Dusted
Mallorca missed a rare trick at home last weekend when they were held to a 1-1 draw against ten-man Malaga. Coach Gregorio Manzano knows that with such an imperious home record at their back, the Andalusian club should have been dispatched with some comfort at the ONO Estadi, yet it took a last minute goal from Aritz Aduriz to secure even a point.
That was los Barralets first home draw of the campaign, while the Balearic Islanders have won a hugely impressive 14 times at home already this season. Had last weekend’s game against Malaga been won, however, Mallorca would now be a formidable four points clear of fifth placed Sevilla.
With a pack of teams bunching up behind the Islanders ready to snatch their place in the Champions League, Manzano’s men must maintain their poise. Of late they have improved their record on the road somewhat, losing only one of their last five matches in Liga play, and that could prove to be one of the defining aspects of their campaign.
“It will be very tight,” Fernando Valera said prior to last weekend’s match in a comment that still rings true. “I hope, and believe, it will not be decided until the final game.”
If the midfielder’s goal of having their future settled by May 9 is to be realised, maximum points are probably needed in Mallorca’s next three encounters, which means winning in the Basque Lands.
Form Guide
Athletic
DREW 0-0 (a) Osasuna (Liga, April 26)
DREW 0-0 (h) Zaragoza (Liga, April 18)
LOST 2-0 (a) Valencia (Liga, April 15)
WON 4-1 (h) Almeria (Liga, April 11)
DREW 1-1 (h) Mallorca (Liga, April 4)
Mallorca
DREW 1-1 (h) Malaga (Liga, April 25)
WON 2-0 (h) Osasuna (Liga, April 19)
DREW 1-1 (a) Zaragoza (Liga, April 14)
WON 3-2 (h) Valencia (Liga, April 11)
DREW 1-1 (a) Almeria (Liga, April 4)
Team News
Athletic
Long-term injury problems continue to be far more of a trouble for coach Joaquin Caparros than any short-term issues. The coach of the Basques will be again minus Ion Velez and his band of treatment room regulars. Fran Yeste didn’t feature last weekend due to injury and will hope to return, while Andoni Iraola will return to the defence.
Probable Starting XI: Iraizoz; Iraola, San Jose, Amorebieta, Koikili; Susaeta, Gurpegi, Martinez, Gabilondo; Toquero, Llorente
Mallorca
Aritz Aduriz and Alhassane Keita seem to have put an on-field squabble from last weekend behind them, but it would be a surprise if Manzano was to start with both players at San Mames. Tuni continues to miss out, while it’s unlikely that Ivan Ramis or Mario Suarez will be involved from the outset.
Probable Starting XI: Aouate; Mattioni, Ruben, Nunes, Ayoze; Valera, Marti, Castro; Valero; Victor, Aduriz
Players to Watch
Athletic
Gaizka Toquero is looked upon by some pundits as one of the most improved players in the league this season. The commitment and effort of the forward player was never doubted, but he has added to that some greater technical attributes, which have helped round him off as a player. Expect the forward to seriously trouble the visiting defence.
Mallorca
There will be significant pressure on former Athletic striker Aritz Aduriz to hit top form at San Mames. Not only will he want to show his former employers what they are missing out on, he will want to fire his side closer to the Champions League. After an on-field argument with Alhassane Keita last weekend, the Basque star must prove himself to the coach, but at least he started that process by scoring the injury-time equaliser against Malaga. The 29-year-old has yet to find his best level since the turn of the year.
Prediction
Although Mallorca’s record away from home over the course of the season isn’t impressive, there can be little doubt that it has improved of late. Still, los Barralets haven’t shown enough consistently to suggest they can yet win at San Mames. Meanwhile, the home side have seriously struggled to score goals of late, going three games without finding the net, which suggests a tight game will ensue.
Athletic Bilbao 1-1 Mallorca
from Goal.com