Preview: Athletic Bilbao vs Valencia – prediction, team news, lineups
After earning just one point from their opening two matches, Athletic Bilbao will be aiming for their first victory of the season as they host Valencia at San Mamés on Wednesday.
On the other hand, Valencia is still searching for their first points of the campaign, having suffered consecutive defeats in their initial La Liga fixtures. Athletic Bilbao entered the new season on the back of a successful 2023-24 campaign, having secured a fifth-place finish in La Liga and ended a 40-year wait for the Copa del Rey. With their recent successes, Los Leones are seen as strong contenders for a Champions League spot this season. However, their ambitions may be slightly dampened by a less-than-ideal start to the new campaign.
Athletic’s season began with a 1-1 draw against Getafe, followed by a narrow 2-1 defeat to Barcelona in their away fixture on Saturday. Oihan Sancet scored a first-half penalty to equalize after Lamine Yamal had given Barcelona the lead. However, a 75th-minute goal from Robert Lewandowski meant that Athletic left the Camp Nou empty-handed, extending their winless streak against Barcelona to 10 league meetings (D2, L8).
After their setback in Montjuïc, Athletic will return to the familiar surroundings of San Mamés, where they have been unbeaten in their last 19 La Liga matches since a 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid in August 2023.
