Athletic and Granada meet at San Mamés with the intention of recovering from the low spirits in which they find after their latest results, two disappointments in a row against Cádiz and Levante that stopped Bilbao’s European dreams and the home win against Real Madrid suffered by the Nasrid team.
Athletic has fallen into dismay after seeing how the illusions of getting fully into the European fight that had been made in one of his best moments of the game have evaporated in two games against rivals from the bottom of the table. course, if not the best, after beating Villarreal in Bilbao and drawing meritoriously at the RCDE Stadium and Reale Arena.
But against Cádiz and Levante, Marcelino García Toral’s team declined. The yellow team deservedly took the three points from San Mamés and against the ‘granota’ team the ‘lions’ could not release all the disappointment they chewed during the two weeks of intermediate break.
The point obtained among the six possible ruined Athletic’s intention to take advantage of four consecutive games against rivals at the bottom of the table to prop up some options to enter a European fight that is getting complicated.
That image in their last two games, even more than the disappointing results, and the words of Marcelino in Valencia that if results are not achieved “with some” it will be necessary to try “with others”, they seemed to advance changes for tomorrow in an rojiblanco eleven so far very defined.
But this Thursday Marcelino He said that those words referred exclusively to that game and advanced that against Granada “there will not be many changes.”
If one is expected in attack, with the entry of Nico Williams on the right wing by a Alex Berenguer that he is not living his best moments and / or that of Oihan sancet by Raul Garcia in a second forward position that they both share.
Granada, meanwhile, comes to Bilbao looking for a good result that will allow them to straighten out their course after accumulating two consecutive defeats.
After linking four days without losing, with two draws and two victories, the team led by Robert Moreno they have lost consecutively to Espanyol (2-0) and Real Madrid (1-4), which has placed them on the brink of relegation places.
In fact, he has many options to finish the day among the last three if he does not win in San Mamés, where he begins a key section of the season by measuring from now on several of the teams with whom he will fight for permanence.
Robert Moreno has problems for the game in the form of casualties, as up to five players will miss the match due to physical problems or a penalty.
The centrals are injured Victor Diaz and portuguese Sundays Duarte and the media Isma ruiz and Luis Milla, while the midfielder is also sanctioned Ramón Rodríguez ‘Monchu’, who was sent off against Real Madrid.
The Granada coach, who will not be able to direct his team from the band as he is also sanctioned after his expulsion against Madrid, will have to choose to accompany German in the center of the rear between the Peruvian Luis Abram and the youth squad Raúl Torrente, with which he has in the last meetings.
Probable lineups
Athletic: Unai Simón; Lekue, Yeray, Íñigo Martínez, Balenziaga; Nico Williams, Winner, Dani García, Muniain; Raúl García and Iñaki Williams.
grenade: Maximiano; Quini, Germán, Torrente, Carlos Neva; Gonalons, Montoro, Rochina, Alberto Soro; Luis Suárez and Jorge Molina.
Referee: Adrián Cordero Vega (Cantabrian).
Stadium: San Mamés.
Hour: 21: 00H