Athletic Club Prepares for Copa Match Against Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa

Athletic Club continues its preparations this Sunday for the Copa del Rey match scheduled for Tuesday against Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa at the Reino de León. The team is training at Lezama under more favorable weather conditions compared to previous days. They will have another training session on Monday afternoon before traveling by road to León. Forecasts for the match indicate overcast skies following a morning of rain, with temperatures expected to hover around 5 degrees Celsius.

The only player assured a starting position in the lineup is goalkeeper Padilla, who played in the last round against Ourense. The Zarauztarra goalkeeper has found the Copa to be his only escape from a season where he has consistently been a substitute behind Simón in Liga, Supercopa, and Champions League matches. Athletic brought Padilla back last summer before the end of his loan with Pumas in Mexico to fill the gap left by Agirrezabala, who was loaned to Valencia. The club paid around 300,000 euros in compensation to terminate that agreement.

Padilla is preparing for a crucial match against a CyD Leonesa team that poses a greater challenge than their previous opponent, Ourense. Under the guidance of coach Ziganda, the team faces this match following a draw with Andorra, resulting in one victory, two draws, and two defeats over their last five league encounters. However, in the midst of this series, the León team secured a victory against Levante in the previous Copa round, scoring in the 12th minute and successfully maintaining their lead.