Athletic Bilbao vs Granada

Athletic Bilbao’s pursuit of a top-four finish in La Liga continues at the iconic San Mames against second-form-bottom Granada. 

In-form Villarreal cut Athletic Bilbao’s Copa del Rey celebrations short, converting a stoppage-time penalty to hold them to a 1-1 draw last time out. Despite that setback, ‘Los Leones’ still enjoy their best La Liga campaign in terms of points in the ‘three points per win’ era, with their 57-point haul keeping them only four adrift of fourth-placed Atletico Madrid. However, it also means there’s no margin for error down the final stretch if they’re to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2014/15. Ernesto Valverde’s men have not been prone to dropping points lately, as evidenced by the division’s joint-longest unbeaten home run of 15 matches (W11, D4). Valverde knows better than to let that record tuck him into a false sense of security after overseeing an underwhelming 1-1 draw in December’s reverse fixture. 

Visiting Granada will probably have to go one better in this encounter to buy themselves a fighting chance at the tail-end of the campaign after a commanding 2-0 home triumph against Alaves last weekend helped them whittle down the gap on 17th-placed Celta Vigo to 11 points. With only seven games left, it still feels like a mammoth task, not least because they leave the comforts of their home, seeking their first La Liga victory on the road this season (D2, L13). As the league’s worst travelers with only two points to their name, Jose Ramon Sandoval’s men look doomed before the kick-off, especially considering they’ve gone winless on their last five top-flight visits to San Mames (D2, L3). Back-to-back 1-0 away losses to fellow bottom-half strugglers Cadiz and Mallorca perhaps best illustrate Granada’s travel sickness.