Match Pack: Athletic Club vs CD Leganés (LaLiga MD21)

Athletic Club's first home league match of 2025 is finally here. The Lions host 15th-placed CD Leganés at San Mames.

The Zurigorri's last LaLiga outing saw them defeat Celta Vigo 1-2 on the road, but they come into this match on the back of a 4-1 Europe League loss to Besiktas in Istanbul.

Ernesto Valverde's players will want to get back to winning ways and secure three points to further consolidate our place among the Champions League qualification spots.
 

Match Info
Athletic Club vs CD Leganés

San Mames, Bilbao

LaLiga EA Sports 24/25 (Matchday 21)

Sunday January 21, 18:30 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 23-man squad for the clash in Bilbao.

Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta and Álvaro Djaló are unavailable after picking up injuries against Besiktas JK.
 

Valverde's Comments
Catch up with everything he had to say at his pre-match press conference. 

The Opponents

Head coach: Borja Jiménez
 

The 40-year old coach took over at Legañes in June 2023 and led the 'Pepineros' to the LaLiga Hypermotion at the end of his first season in charge.

This is Jiménez's first campaign in LaLiga EA Sports, but he does have extensive experience in the lower leagues despite his relatively young age for a manager. His previous clubs include: Avila, Valladolid B, Izarra, Rápido Bouzas, CD Mirandés, Asteras Tripolis, Cartagena and Deportivo La Coruña.
 

Top scorer: Juan Cruz
 

Born in Argentina but raised in Malaga, the winger spent last season on loan with Leganes before making the move permanent in the  summer.

Cruz started his career at hometown Malaga CF and then moved to Real Betis for a couple of years before joining Leganes. So far in 2024/25, he has scored four goals in 19 appearances. 
 

Recent form: DWLDW
 

It's been a mixed, inconsistent season for Leganes in terms of performances, with the side yet to win two matches on the run. However, they have taken some massive scalps recently, beating FC Barcelona 0-1 at the Camp Nou in December and defeating Atlético Madrid 1-0 at Butarque in their most recent outing.
 

 

Previous Meetings
A very young LaLiga fixture, Athletic first top-flight clash with Leganes was a 0-0 draw at Butarque in the 2016/17 campaign. They've met a total of nine times in the league, the Lions recording four wins, three draws and two defeats.

Leganes have only made four LaLiga trips to Bilbao. So far Athletic have won two, drawn one and lost one.
 

Athletic's most recent home win over the Madrid-based outfit came at the start of the 2018/19 campaign. Peru Nolaskoain gave Los Leones the lead, Jonathan Silva equalised and Iker Muniain secured all three points with a 92nd-minute winner.