Overview
Athletic Bilbao ended the first 17 rounds of La Liga this season with a record of 7 wins, 2 draws and 8 losses. They earned 23 points to temporarily rank seventh on the rankings.
The Basque team is currently 2 points behind Real Betis in the race to the top 6, but is 11 points behind Atletico Madrid in fourth place. This shows that instability is still a big problem for them this season.
Ernesto Valverde's team entered this match with a boost from a 1-0 minimalist victory over Ourense CF at Copa del Rey, the result that helped Athletic Bilbao qualify for the round of 16. However, in La Liga, they just lost 0-2 to Celta Vigo last weekend, after a goalless draw with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
In the most recent confrontation between the two teams in the 2024-2025 La Liga, Athletic Bilbao had a convincing 4-1 victory over Espanyol. More broadly, the red and white team has only lost one of the last 10 encounters with the Catalan representative.
On the other hand, Espanyol are one of the most impressive teams in La Liga this season. After 16 matches, they have won 30 points with a record of 9 wins, 3 draws and 4 losses, thereby rising to fifth place in the rankings.
The Catalan team is currently 4 points behind Atletico Madrid but still has one match left to play (before round 17). They have entered this away trip with a series of 4 consecutive wins, overcoming Sevilla, Celta Vigo, Rayo Vallecano and Getafe, since the home defeat against Villarreal on November 8.
Under the leadership of Manolo Gonzalez, Espanyol has shown very convincing performance both at home and away. They have won 19 points after 9 matches at their home ground and earned 11 more points after 7 away matches.
Last season, Espanyol finished only 14th in La Liga. However, what they are showing shows clear prospects for improving their performance, even the prospect of competing for a place in the Champions League next season is no longer too far away.
Notably, two of Espanyol's last three wins over Athletic Bilbao in La Liga have come right at San Mamas, including a 1-0 win in September 2022.
Personnel situation
Athletic Bilbao will not have the service of Dani Vivian due to suspension, while Yuri Berchiche, Aymeric Laporte, Maroan Sannadi, Unai Eguiluz and Benat Prados are all absent due to injury.
Yeray Alvarez has also not been able to return until April next year, after serving a long-term suspension for testing positive for a banned substance in a doping test.
Inaki Williams is still recovering from a groin injury he suffered against Ourense CF in the Copa del Rey. However, this experienced striker will likely still be named in the starting lineup.
On the other hand, Espanyol will not have the service of Charles Pickel because this player is participating in the African Football Cup with the Congo team. However, the away team could receive an important boost in terms of personnel.
Specifically, Tyrhys Dolan will return after being absent from the match against Getafe due to suspension, while Javi Puado also has a chance to return after a long period of absence due to a knee injury.
Up front, Kike Garcia is likely to continue to lead the role of center forward, bringing experience and stability to Espanyol.
Expected lineup:
Athletic Bilbao: Simon, Areso, Lekue, Paredes, Boiro, Ruiz de Galarreta, Jauregizar, I. Williams, Sancet, N. Williams, Berenguer.
Espanyol: Dmitrovic, El Hilali, Calero, Cabrera, Romero, Jofre, Gonzalez, Exposito, Milla, Fernandez, K. Garcia.
The match between Athletic Bilbao and Espanyol takes place at 3:00 am on December 23 (Vietnam time).
