Espanyol vs Athletic Bilbao - prediction, team news, lineups

Two teams with plentifulness connected the enactment successful the last stages of the La Liga play volition fastener horns connected Wednesday evening, arsenic Espanyol invited Athletic Bilbao to RCDE Stadium.

Espanyol are presently 14th successful the La Liga table, conscionable 2 points supra the relegation zone, portion Athletic are ninth, 1 constituent down seventh-placed Getafe.

Match preview

Espanyol are, rather incredibly, inactive waiting for their archetypal triumph of 2026, with their La Liga grounds this twelvemonth lasting astatine 12 defeats and six draws from 18 matches.

The Catalan outfit person dropped retired of European contention and present beryllium 14th successful the division, lone 2 points extracurricular of the bottommost three, and it would beryllium immoderate turnaround if they were relegated from La Liga considering their signifier successful the archetypal fractional of the campaign.

Manolo Gonzalez's broadside volition participate this lucifer disconnected the backmost of a 2-1 decision astatine Sevilla, and they person present mislaid 4 of their past 5 games successful Spain's apical flight.

Espanyol person 1 of the poorer location records successful the part this season, picking up lone 22 points from 17 matches, portion Athletic person 15 points from their 17 games connected their travels.

Earlier this season, Espanyol recorded a 2-1 triumph implicit Athletic astatine San Mames, which proved to beryllium their past occurrence successful La Liga, truthful that could beryllium a bully omen for the hosts.

Athletic person won 88, mislaid 70 and drawn 42 of their erstwhile 200 games against Espanyol successful each competitions, and they person been victorious successful 3 of the past 5 meetings.

There is nary getting distant from the information that it has been an underwhelming run for Ernesto Valverde's side, but they tin inactive unafraid European shot for the 2026-27 campaign.

Indeed, the Lions are presently ninth successful the La Liga table, 1 constituent down seventh-placed Getafe, portion they beryllium six points from Celta Vigo successful sixth.

Athletic volition participate this lucifer disconnected the backmost of a 1-0 location decision to Valencia, but their won past distant game, beating Alaves 4-2 astatine the commencement of the month.

The Lions volition participate a caller epoch this summer, with Edin Terzic already being confirmed arsenic the replacement for the outgoing Valverde, who volition beryllium determined to guarantee that immoderate signifier of European shot is secured for the nine adjacent season.

Espanyol La Liga form:

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Athletic Bilbao La Liga form:

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Team News

Espanyol volition again beryllium without the services of Javi Puado owed to a semipermanent genu injury, portion Cyril Ngonge is simply a large uncertainty for Wednesday's contest.

Two further Espanyol players volition beryllium missing done suspension, with Fernando Calero and Tyrhys Dolan unavailable for enactment against Athletic.

Kike Garcia is expected to instrumentality successful the last 3rd of the field, portion determination could besides beryllium a instrumentality to the starting broadside for Pere Milla.

As for Athletic, Nico Williams was forced disconnected with a muscular occupation against Valencia past clip out, and the attacker's information successful the 2026 World Cup with Spain could present beryllium successful doubt.

Benat Prados, Aymeric Laporte and Oihan Sancet volition besides request to beryllium assessed earlier last decisions connected their engagement tin beryllium made.

Inaki Williams is expected to regenerate his brother, Nico Williams, successful the starting side, portion determination could besides beryllium spots successful the last 3rd of the tract for some Alex Berenguer and Unai Gomez.

Espanyol imaginable starting lineup:

Dmitrovic; El Hilali, Riedel, Cabrera, Romero; Zarate, Lozano; Sanchez, Exposito, Milla; K Garcia

Athletic Bilbao imaginable starting lineup:

Simon; Areso, Vivian, Paredes, Boiro; Ruiz de Galarreta, Jauregizar; I Williams, Gomez, Berenguer; Guruzeta

We say: Espanyol 1-1 Athletic Bilbao

It remains to beryllium seen whether Espanyol's winless tally comes to an extremity earlier the play concludes, but we are uncovering it hard to backmost the Catalan broadside to triumph here, with Athletic surely beardown capable to unafraid astatine slightest a constituent connected their travels.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.