Match Pack: Athletic Club vs Valencia CF (LaLiga MD3)

Athletic Club host Rubén Baraja's Valencia CF at San Mames. Having drawn and lost their first two fixtures of LaLiga 2024/25, Los Leones will be hoping to put their first notch in the win column on Wednesday evening.
 

Match Info
Athletic Club vs Valencia CF

San Mames, Bilbao

LaLiga EA Sports 24/25 (Matchday 3)

Wednesday August 28, 19:00 CEST

Tickets can be purchased via this link.
 

 

How to Watch
Check out our global TV guide to make sure you don't miss the match
 

Team News
Valverde named a 23-man squad for the clash.

Unai Simón, Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta and Yuri Berchiche are unavailable, while Álvaro Djalo, and Nico Serrano have recovered from injury.

Oier Gastesi, Adama Boiro (both of whom would make senior debuts if they play), Unai Egiluz and Mikel Jauregizar have been called up from Bilbao Athletic as cover.
 

 

Valverde's Comments
Catch up with everything the gaffer had to say at his press conference
 

 

The Opponents

Head coach: Rubén Baraja

A Valencia legend as a player, Baraja made 263 LaLiga appearances for the club between 2000/01 and 2009/10. The former midfielder took over as head coach in February 2023, with Valencia in 18th. They secured survival on the final day of the season.

Last season was smoother sailing. Under Baraja, Los Che managed a comfortable ninth-placed finish.
 

Summer signings:

IN: Luis Rioja (winger, from Deportivo Alaves), Dani Gómez (forward, loaned from Levante UD), Stole Dimitrievski (goalkeeper, from Rayo Vallecano), Rafa Mir (forward, loaned from Sevilla FC).
 

Recent form:

Valencia have kicked off LaLiga 2024/25 with consecutive defeats, losing 1-2 at Mestall to FC Barcelona on the opening weekend and then falling to a 3-1 loss to Celta Vigo last Friday.
 

Previous Meetings
Athletic and Valencia have played 178 games against each other in the top-flight. Los Leones' record versus Los Che is 64 wins, 46 and 68 defeats.
 

Valencia's first ever visit to Bilbao for a LaLiga match was in 1931/32, with the Zurigorri winning 7-2. Of all 89 clashes at The Cathedral, Athletic have won 50, tied 22 and lost 17.
 

Recent meetings have been at San Mames have been hard-fought low-scoring affairs. There have been three draws and a win apiece.
 

The corresponding fixture in 2023/24 was a 2-2 draw. Athletic went ahead thanks to Oscar de Marcos, but conceded twice in five second-half minutes to trail 1-2. Alex Berenguer rescued a point with a 97th-minute strike.