Villarreal meet Athletic Bilbao on Saturday evening at El Madrigal with the hosts looking to extend their unbeaten run. Villarreal are unbeaten in fourteen games in all competitions and currently sit sixth in La Liga. That unbeaten run has also saw them reach the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey and the last thirty-two of the Europa League. They have drawn their last two league games though and Marcelinho will be hoping they can get back to winning ways.

El Submarino Amarillo will be without Manu Trigueros so Bruno and Jonathan dos Santos will be the likely pairing in centre midfield. Villarreal have a very young squad with Bruno and Ikechukwu Uche the only players older than twenty-six in the likely starting eleven. Luciano Vietto and Denis Cheryshev have been the standouts with ten goals and ten assists between them.

Athletic Bilbao are currently thirteenth in La Liga and have been having a very disappointing season after finishing fourth last season. They have picked up just one point in their last five games but did manage to progress in the Copa and will meet Malaga in the last eight.

Los Leones will be without the suspended Iker Muniain which will be a big blow to Ernesto Valverde and he will have to decide on who comes in with Ibai Gomez or Borja Viguera the likely replacements. Current form would suggest Villarreal are strong favourites but Athletic Bilbao are a better side than they shown so far and on their day they are more than capable of taking something from the game.


Probable Teams

Villarreal - Asenjo; Mario, V.Ruiz, Gabriel, J.Costa; Moi Gomez, Bruno, J.Dos Santos, Cheryshev; Vietto and Uche.

Athletic Bilbao - Iraizoz; Iraola, Etxeita, Laporte, Balenziaga; M.Rico, Iturraspe; Susaeta, De Marcos, Ibai and Aduriz.

VAVEL Logo
About the author
Gerry Johnston
Cover Spanish and Italian football for VAVEL UK.