Athletic Bilbao will be bidding to make it seven straight wins in all competitions when they resume their La Liga campaign with a trip to an in-form Valencia on Saturday evening.
The visitors are currently third in the table, boasting 41 points from their opening 20 matches of the campaign, while Valencia are eighth, collecting 29 points from their 20 games in 2023-24.
Match preview
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Valencia saw their journey in this season's Copa del Rey come to an end on Wednesday evening when they lost 3-1 at home to Celta Vigo, with the defeat ending a four-game winning run in all competitions.
Los Che's full focus for the remainder of the campaign will therefore be on the league, and they have been in excellent form since losing 1-0 to Getafe on December 8, picking up 10 points from their last four games.
Ruben Baraja's side drew 1-1 with Barcelona on December 16 before recording three straight wins over Rayo Vallecano, Villarreal and Cadiz, scoring eight times in the process.
Valencia's recent run of impressive form has left them in eighth position in the table, just three points behind sixth-placed Real Sociedad, with the team bidding to secure a return to European action next term.
Los Che finished 16th in La Liga last season, which proved to be their worst final spot since being relegated at the end of the 1985-86 campaign, but there has been clear improvement this term, especially at home, with Baraja's side picking up 17 points from their nine games in front of their own fans.
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Athletic will provide Valencia with a stern test this weekend, though, with the Lions proving to be one of the most impressive teams in Spain's top flight this season.
Ernesto Valverde's side secured their spot in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey courtesy of a 2-0 win over Alaves on Tuesday evening, which made it six straight successes in all competitions, while the Basque outfit have not been beaten since a 1-0 reverse to Barcelona on October 22.
In La Liga, Athletic have won their last four matches against Atletico Madrid, Las Palmas, Sevilla and Real Sociedad, conceding just once in the process, and their strong form has moved them up to third position.
The Lions have a record of 12 wins, five draws and three defeats from 20 league games this season, which has brought them 41 points, enough for third position, eight points off the leaders Girona.
Athletic have not managed to claim a top-four finish in La Liga for 10 years, but they are in a strong position at this stage of the campaign, and the visitors will be bidding to stretch their unbeaten run against Valencia in La Liga to nine matches this weekend.
Team News
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Roman Yaremchuk and Hugo Gonzalez are doubts for Valencia this weekend due to illness, while Andre Almeida is again set to miss out with a back problem.
Los Che will also be missing two players through international duty, with Selim Amallah and Mouctar Diakhaby representing Morocco and Guinea respectively at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Head coach Baraja will make changes from the side that took to the field for the first whistle against Celta in the Copa del Rey, with Sergi Canos, Jose Gaya, Hugo Guillamon and Cristhian Mosquera among those expected to be reintroduced back into the XI for this clash.
As for Athletic, Dani Garcia remains a doubt due to a thigh issue, while key forward Inaki Williams is absent, as he is representing Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Head coach Valverde could name the same side that took to the field for the first whistle against Real Sociedad in the league last time out, with Alex Berenguer expected to feature off the right.
There will be changes to the side that started against Alaves in the Copa del Rey, with Gorka Guruzeta set to return as the centre-forward despite his replacement Asier Villalibre scoring a brace in the cup fixture last time out.
Valencia possible starting lineup:
Mamardashvili; Foulquier, Mosquera, Paulista, Gaya; Perez, Guillamon, Pepelu, Canos; Duro, D Lopez
Athletic Bilbao possible starting lineup:
Simon; Lekue, Vivian, Paredes, Yuri; Ruiz de Galarreta, Vesga; Berenguer, Sancet, N Williams; Guruzeta
We say: Valencia 2-2 Athletic Bilbao
Five of the last seven La Liga meetings between these two sides have finished level, and we can see another draw here. Athletic are on an impressive winning run, but Valencia's form has also been excellent, and we are finding it difficult to separate the teams in what could be an entertaining clash.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
