Villarreal vs Athletic Bilbao

A keenly-contested race for European placings in La Liga is heating up as Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao square off in an exciting clash at the Estadio de la Ceramica.

Villarreal’s quest to qualify for the Champions League via a top-four La Liga finish for the first time since 2015/16 looks already dead in the water despite a three-game unbeaten run in the build-up to this fixture (W2, D1). With only five games left and a staggering seven-point distance on fourth-placed Real Sociedad, Quique Setien’s men need a miracle to close the gap down the final stretch. They’ll at least hope to hold up their end of the bargain, starting with avenging an ominous-looking eight-match winless H2H streak against Bilbao in La Liga (D5, L3). Ending the club’s worst-ever run without a win against a specific opponent in La Liga looks improbable, though, with ‘El Submarino Amarillo’ suffering three defeats in their last eight home league outings (W4, D1).

Meanwhile, visiting Athletic Bilbao could still secure a coveted European finish as they start this round level on points with seventh-placed Girona despite a disheartening run of three straight league games without winning (D1, L2). Playing outside San Mames could be a blessing in disguise, with Ernesto Valverde’s team going unbeaten on their last five La Liga travels (W3, D2), netting 2+ goals in each win. But if the recent H2H history is anything to go by, ‘Los Leones’ may have to settle for a point here as four of their last five top-flight visits to Villarreal have ended as a draw (W1). A lack of firepower up top could be an issue for Bilbao, considering they’ve failed to get on the scoresheet twice in their last three league matches.