Athletic Club vs Real Sociedad – Preview
With the first international break of 2021 finally coming to an end, football fans can welcome the return of club football, with several exciting matches set to take place this weekend. One of the most interesting ties is the Copa del Rey final showdown between Athletic Club and Real Sociedad, with these two Spanish club locking horns at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at the San Mamés Barria.
It should be noted that this is not the final of this season's Copa del Rey as that fixture will be contested on April 17 by Athletic Club and Barcelona. Saturday's battle is the 2020 edition, with last season's King's Cup final being postponed until this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This means Los Leones will play two Copa del Rey finals in two weeks, the first being against bitter Basque rivals Real Sociedad, and could win the historic trophy twice in one month, or suffer heartbreak twice in a fortnight. Marcelino has already guided this team to victory this year, beating Messi and Co. in the Spanish Super Cup final in mid-January, but the question on everyone's mind is whether he can bag another piece of silverware this weekend.
Form suggests Athletic Club can do it, with the Basque outfit losing only once in their last eight league fixtures. Furthermore, they have suffered only two defeats in their last 11 ties across all competitions but it's not as perfect as it seems, with the Lions triumphing only four times during that span while drawing in their last two outings.
Real Sociedad, on the other hand, sit higher in the table than their Basque rivals, with La Real sitting in fifth, 10 points ahead of their ninth-placed neighbors. However, it has been a roller-coaster campaign for Imanol Alguacil's side as they went from being title challengers early on in the season to dropping out of the top-four race.
David Silva and Co. are 10 points adrift of fourth-placed Sevilla and have only the Copa del Rey final left to play for, having crashed out of the UEFA Europa League at the hands of Man United. Real Sociedad have endured tough times this season, winning only once in 13 games from November to mid-January. Additionally, they head into this fixture on the back of consecutive defeats in La Liga, losing 6-1 at home to Barcelona in their most recent fixture. Victory over Athletic Club would be the best way to salvage their season and make amends for their dip in form. Only time will tell if La Real can pull this off.
Team news
Athletic Club: The Lions have little concerns for this game in regards with his preferred starters, with Oier being sidelined. The likes of Inaki Williams, Iker Muniain and Raul Garcia should be available and ready to go for this crucial fixture.
Real Sociedad: Joseba Zaldua, Jon Guridi, Jon Pacheco, Miguel Angel Moya, Sola and Luca Sangalli are all absent. Mikel Merino, Asier Illaramendi and David Silva will be tasked with running the midfield as La Real look to control the game.
Key stats
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Real Sociedad boast the better record in recent clashes, winning five of their last 10 encounters with Athletic Club and losing four.
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The Lions have lost their last two encounters with La Real.
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While Athletic Club have lost only twice in their last 17 outings, David Silva and Co. have suffered six defeats in as many games.
Broadcast listings
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
