Friday night treats Spanish football fans and lovers of La Liga to one of its most entertaining fixtures when relegation haunted Granada, travels to the San Mames to play the newly crowned Copa Del Rey Champions, Athletic Bilbao.
Ernesto Valverde’s side will be hoping his side can get all the maximum points from this one to help their charge up the La Liga table with the Basque club only 4 points behind Atletico Madrid in 5th place.
Bilbao’s UEFA Champions League Spot Dream is Still Alive
Athletic Bilbao may have their biggest feat in 40 years by lifting the Spanish Kings Cup, but they could still make this season even more memorable by knocking Atletico Madrid off the last UEFA Champions League spot at 4th place and they will try to do that.
With five games still to go in the Spanish top division this season and only a loss and a draw away from overtaking their Madrid-based counterparts, the Basque will know that their dream of making it to the UEFA Champions League for the third time in their history is still very much alive.
That will be their biggest motivation going into their remaining 5 games of the season and with the man-power they have in their team led by the talented William brothers, they will be more than ready to take on that challenge.
Granada is Unbeaten against Bilbao in their Last 3 Games
Granada, hungry for survival from being relegated, make the journey to a tough San Mames stadium knowing full well that if they are to climb out of the relegation zone, they will have to avoid losing any more points than they already have this season.
Jose Ramon Sandoval’s team are 8 points behind Cadiz in 19th with a poor goal difference of -28, and if they are to avoid getting demoted to the lower league, they will have to get great results like they have gotten in the past against a club like Bilbao.
With Granada grinding out a 1-1 draw, a 1-0 win, and a 2-2 draw at the San Mames where they go on Friday in their last 3 meetings with Athletico Bilbao, the team can feel a lot of motivation coming into this game against the newly crowned Copa Del Rey champions.
If that were not good enough to get the job done, then having drawn 2-2 and 3-3 in both games versus 2nd-placed Barcelona in the league this season should more than speak to their capabilities in getting the results if they play to do so.
Match Stats
Athletic Bilbao is ranked 5th in goals scored per match (1.6 goals) this season in La Liga while Granada is ranked 14th in goals scored per match (1 goal) although they have been awarded the most penalties this season (7).
Athletic Bilbao is unbeaten in 19 home games this season in all competitions and has won 37 points from a possible 48 points from their 16 matches played at the San Mames in La Liga while Granada has won just 1 of their last 12 games, losing 8 with 5 of them away from home.
Athletic Bilbao have achieved just 1 win in their last 7 games against Granada CF in all competitions failing to beat Granada in all of their last 3 meetings (2 away, 1 at home).
You can check out the La Liga game between Athletic Bilbao and Granada on MSport here.
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