Athletic Bilbao get back to La Liga at home to Villarreal after clinching a rare piece of silverware
Newly crowned Copa del Rey champion Athletic Bilbao will play host to Villarreal on Sunday in the hopes of boosting its chances of a top-four finish in La Liga and the Champions League ticket that comes with it. Los Leones ended their 40-year wait for the Copa crown by beating Mallorca in a dramatic penalty shootout last weekend, coming from behind to seal a rare piece of history in Seville. Their next challenge is a Villarreal team that’s threatening Spain’s upper echelons once more after a woeful first half of the season and travels to the Basque Country after just two losses from its last 12 games in all competitions.
How to Watch Athletic Bilbao vs. Villarreal Today
Game Date: April 14, 2024
Start Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
Game Venue: San Mames, Bilbao, Spain
TV: ESPN Deportes
Live stream the Athletic Bilbao vs. Villarreal game on Fubo: Start your free trial now!
The Yellow Submarine was riding a season-high after winning four on the trot prior to Atletico Madrid’s visit a fortnight ago, which ended in a 2-1 defeat for Marcelino’s men.
Similarly, Athletic just so happened to suffer against a Madrid giant in its last league outing and came away as 2-0 leaders against table-topping Real at the end of March.
That result was soon forgotten, however, after Oihan Sancet’s equalizer forced a draw against Mallorca and Alex Berenguer converted the penalty that cemented this team in history:
Ernesto Valverde has succeeded in taking Athletic to new heights despite the club’s limitations compared with other big-spending peers, with a trophy to mark the achievement.
However, there’s still the small matter of La Liga to resolve in the coming six weeks, and three points at home to Villarreal will be treated as the new priority for a team teetering on top-four status.
Los Leones have restored their pride at home in particular and haven’t suffered defeat at San Mames since the first week of the season when Carlo Ancelotti’s Real came to town.
Villarreal isn’t to be overlooked on the road, however, after going unbeaten in four league road trips, a run that includes wins away to Barcelona, Real Sociedad and Real Betis.
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