First week of competition for Valverde's team
First week of competition for Valverde's team
Athletic will play four LaLiga matches before the international break, at which time Club will make a sporting assessment of the start of the season
With yesterday's big match against Manchester United in Dublin, Athletic Club has concluded its pre-season just a month after starting it. Ernesto Valverde's men now face their first week of competition with the demanding match against Real Madrid on the horizon.
San Mames will raise the curtain on the new season this Saturday (21:30 CEST) with a LaLiga classic. It will be the 185th meeting between the Lions and the Merengues, who, along with FC Barcelona, have never failed to meet in the top division. It will also be the reunion of the Lions with their fans at La Catedral, where great nights of football and excitement are sure to be expected.
As usual, Ernesto Valverde's team will be the first of the Club's teams to face official competition. With the Women's World Cup in full knockout phase, the Lionesses will not start the Liga F until the second weekend of September. The Cubs will do so a week earlier, against UD Logroñés at Las Gaunas.
Sporting assessment
The Lions will play four league matches before the first international break in September. The opener against Real Madrid at San Mames will be followed by a visit to Osasuna at El Sadar, a home game against Real Betis and a trip to Mallorca. After this start to the competition and the closure of the summer transfer window, the Club will make an overall sporting assessment of the start of the season.