Athletic Club host Valencia with sixth place in reach — Athletic - Valencia C. F.
Athletic - Valencia C. F. arrives at San Mamés on 9 May with the table pulling in two directions. Athletic have already secured permanence and are chasing sixth or seventh place, while Valencia sit 12th on 39 points and 3 points above the relegation zone.
San Mamés and Valverde
Ernesto Valverde is set to coach his penultimate home match at San Mamés, and Athletic can still sharpen their European position before the season closes. The Basque side won in Vitoria on the previous matchday, and that result removed the survival pressure that had hung over the club before turning the focus to the race for Europe.
Valverde could also tweak the lineup. Ruiz de Galarreta and Sancet are in line to replace Rego and Unai Gómez, while Laporte and Yuri are expected to start. Iñigo Lekue, Beñat Prados, Unai Egiluz and Maroan Sannadi were left out of the 23-man squad for technical reasons.
Valencia and Corberán
Valencia arrive after losing to Atlético de Madrid, and Carlos Corberán’s side needs points to move closer to the 42-point mark that has secured permanence in other seasons. That leaves the visitors trying to add distance from the bottom three while Athletic push for the sixth or seventh position.
Julen Agirrezabala returns to the Valencia squad after surgery on a meniscus injury in March, and his trip back to San Mamés carries an added edge because he is on loan from Athletic. Valencia also listed Lucas Beltrán as unavailable, along with Thierry, Diakahaby, Foulquier and Copete.
Agirrezabala’s return
The goalkeeper’s return gives the match a sharper individual frame inside a game already shaped by the table. Athletic’s listed lineup includes Unai Simón, Gorosabel, Yeray, Laporte, Yuri, Ruiz de Galarreta, Jauregizar, Iñaki Williams, Sancet, Nico Williams and Guruzeta, while Valencia’s list includes Dimitrievski, Saravia or Núñez, Cömert, Tárrega, Gayà, Rioja, Javi Guerra, Guido, Ramazani, Ugrinic and Sadiq.
Athletic do not need another rescue act after Vitoria, but this is still a match they can use to keep the European chase alive. Valencia, three points above the relegation zone, need a result that changes the pressure around 39 points before the table tightens again.
