Match Pack: Athletic Club vs Villarreal CF (LaLiga MD16)
Match Pack: Athletic Club vs Villarreal CF (LaLiga MD16)
Two direct rivals for European qualification go toe-to-toe. All you need to know about Sunday's clash at San Mames
Athletic Club host Villarreal CF at San Mames on Sunday afternoon. Marcelino's Yellow Submarine are one of the Lions' main competitors for a European spot and a good result could provide a huge boost for Ernesto Valverde's side.
Villarreal "will be looking for a reaction" after suffering a shock 1-0 defeat to Pontevedra in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday, but Valverde is aware of the threat posed by a team that "have only lost one away match this season."
Athletic, meanwhile, will be hoping to maintain their unbeaten run in LaLiga and build up some more positive momentum after Wednesday's historic 2-1 victory over Real Madrid.
Match Info
Athletic Club vs Villarreal CF
San Mames, Bilbao
LaLiga EA Sports 24/25 (Matchday 16)
Sunday December 8, 16:15 CET
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 has named a 24-man squad for the clash in Bilbao.
Ander Herrera is sidelined with a hamstring issue, while Alex Padilla also drops out of the matchday squad.
Valverde's Comments
Catch up with everything he had to say at his pre-match press conference.
The Opponents
Head coach: Marcelino García
A name that needs to introduction for Athleticzales. Marcelino became a fan favourite at San Mames during his 18-month spell in charge, managing Athletic in the delayed 2019/20 Copa final and leading us through the entire run to the 2020/21 Copa final.
He's one of LaLiga most experienced coaches with a proven track record of getting teams into Europe. Apart from Athletic and Villarreal, Marcelino has also coached sides like: Sporting Gijón, Recreativo, Racing Santander, Sevilla, Valencia and Olympique Marseille.
Top scorer: Thierno Barry
Barry is actually second top scorer behind Ayoze Perez, who has recently returned from injury and is on the bench for the fixture.
Villarreal signed the tall French striker from Swiss side FC Basel in the summer and he has scored four goals in 13 appearances in addition to two assists.
Recent form: DWWDD
Villarreal have got off to a strong start this season, with their only two defeats of the campaign coming against Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
They are unbeaten in their last five, having recorded two wins and three draws, while their most recent match was a 2-2 draw with Girona at home.
Previous Meetings
A relatively young fixture in LaLiga history, the first Athletic vs Villarreal clash took place in 1998/99, with the Lions winning 0-1 at El Madrigal thanks to a goal from Ismael Urzaiz.
Villarreal have visited San Mames a total of 24 times. Athletic's record against the Yellows in Bilbao stands at: 10 wins, eight draws and six defeats.
Athletic's recent home record against Villarreal is very strong. Los Leones are unbeaten in their last five San Mames clashes versus the Yellows.
Last season's corresponding fixture was a 1-1 draw. Oihan Sancet gave Athletic the lead in the 66th minute, but Dani Parejo equalised with a 96th-minute penalty.