Athletic Bilbao returns to action a month after the suspension of its last match in Vallecas, when the match against Rayo Vallecano was interrupted after 13 minutes of play due to the throwing of paper objects and plastic balls. The team led by Iñaki Terzic faces Valencia today at Mestalla, with the ambition of achieving its third victory of the season and recovering the points lost in the relegation zone.
Before the break, Athletic had played on September 28 against Alavés in San Mamés, where the 28-28 of the season had been stopped due to the long suspension of the national teams. In the matches prior to the stoppage, the Bilbao team had achieved victories against Celta in Balaídos and Atlético at home, but had also suffered a defeat against Sevilla in San Mamés and draws with Elche and Racing de Santander. With seven points lost in the relegation zone, the immediate objective is to add three points to avoid falling into the relegation zone.
Valencia, for its part, is going through a season of crisis. With only five points out of a possible 24, the team has recorded one victory against Alavés, two draws (Celta and Racing) and five defeats (Betis, Deportivo, Barça, Sevilla and Real Sociedad). The signing of Javier Aguirre, who debuted with a tie at El Sardinero, marks the beginning of a new stage for the club. The Che team will have its first game under the command of the Mexican in Mestalla, where Valencia has added only one point in its last games and has lost three consecutive games.
Athletic's starting lineup could include Unai Simón in goal, Areso, Yeray, Paredes and Yuri in defense, with Gere and Galarreta in midfield and Navarro, Canales and Berenguer up front, supported by Iñaki Williams. Terzic could also opt for a five-man back scheme, a formation that has proven effective against teams like Elche and Alavés. For its part, Valencia could count on Dimitrievski, Maffeo, Diakhaby, De Haas and Gayà in defense, Pepelu and Guido in midfield, and Raba, Javi Guerra, Danjuma and Hugo Duro up front, although the team will have to deal with the absence of Foulquier, Copete and Sadiq.
With six games scheduled in just over three weeks, Athletic must manage an intense workload before the second break of the season. Among the fixtures are the first Cup tie against AE Prat in Hospitalet and, potentially, a match against Rayo on November 4. The immediate objective is to return home with the victory and reach eleven points in the classification table, a figure that would allow them to stay out of the relegation zone and continue competing for permanence in the First Division.