Athletic Club vs Levante UD: an opportunity to turn things around

This Sunday at 14:00 (CET) Levante UD visit Bilbao to face Athletic Club. So far, both sides have managed one victory in LaLiga Santander. After four  games without a victory at home, the lions are desperate to get back to winning ways in The Cathedral, and this tie could be the perfect opportunity to do so.

Athletic are currently winning in the two sides’ historical head-to-head at San Mamés, with 10 wins, two draws and 2 defeats. In the 14 times the Valencian outifit have visited Bilbao, the lions have scored 26 goals and conceded 12.

As for the players in the current squad, captain Iker Muniain is the top goalscorer against Paco Lopez’s team. Muniain is followed by Iñaki Williams with two, whilst Raúl García, Ander Capa and Yuri Berchiche have one each against the Valencians.

Athletic have won their previous three LaLiga fixtures against Levante: 3-2 on Matchday 30 in 2018-19; 2-1 on Matchday 13 in 2019-20 and a 1-2 away victory on Matchday 36 of the same season.

A special opponent
Despite not having played a great number of games –30 in total– Athletic and Levante have come up against each other at some key moments throughout Athletic’s history.

For example, Levante were the last side to face Athletic Club in an official LaLiga match at the old San Mamés. The fixture took place on May 26, 2013, with the visitors wining 0-1. Although it was not the desired result, that evening in the old San Mamés was a significant milestone in Athletic Club’s history, the last LaLiga match in what had been their home for 100 years.

In the week after that tie, both clubs’ reserve teams also faced each other at San Mamés in a play-off for promotion to the Segunda División. On June 2, 2013, Bilbao Athletic and Atlético Levante played out the last ever official fixture at the old stadium with a 2-2 draw.