Athletic Club Focuses on Liga Ahead of Copa Semifinal

omidbasir- Athletic Club is currently prioritizing La Liga as they momentarily set aside their Copa del Rey aspirations. The team is taking a break this Thursday, and their immediate focus will solely be on the league. The return leg of the Copa semifinal is scheduled to take place at Anoeta on March 4, and until then, Athletic aims to solidify their much-anticipated resurgence in La Liga. Optimistic supporters believe that a strong series of results could bring Valverde’s squad closer to contesting for the sixth position, from which they are currently six points adrift. Real Sociedad finds itself in a similar situation, although they hold a three-point advantage over Athletic.

Following a disappointing run—having won only one of their last five league matches, which included two defeats and two draws—Athletic is set to face Oviedo (February 15), Elche (February 20), and Rayo (February 28) in the next three weeks. These matches will take place before their crucial semifinal return. All three opponents are positioned below Athletic in the standings: Oviedo is at the bottom and will remain in the relegation zone regardless of the outcome against Athletic, while Rayo occupies the final relegation spot but has one game in hand compared to those above them. Both the relegated teams and Villarreal have played fewer matches than the rest of the league.

The upcoming Copa encounter promises to be pivotal, as Athletic travels to Anoeta, where they will be vying for a place in the final at La Cartuja. Their opponents, Barcelona and Atlético, will play their match the day before. Athletic must secure a victory, a feat they have not accomplished in Donostia since March 2017, when they last defeated Real Sociedad 2-0—a result that would see them advance to the final. However, in the eight subsequent matches played at the txuriurdin ground, Athletic has recorded five losses and three draws, scoring 9 goals while conceding 15.

The historical context of the rivalry with Real Sociedad has not been favorable for Athletic. In comparison, the club has reached its last four Copa finals without losing the first leg against Atlético, Levante, Granada, and Espanyol—achieving two victories and two draws in those encounters. The team secured their advancement by winning again against Atlético, defeating both Levante and Espanyol, while losing to Granada, but qualifying due to the away goals rule, which favored them at that time.