Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla both go into Saturday's game off the back of mid-week draws in the Copa del Rey and looking to improve on their current league positions.
There is bound to be an excellent atmosphere inside the San Mamés for Bilbao's first home league game in 2008, as Joaquín Caparrós' side look to improve on their decidedly dicey league position, which sees them just one place and one point away from the relegation places.
Sevilla go into the match in 8th place in the league and will be looking to follow their convincing victory in last week's derby against Real Betis with an away victory at Bilbao, despite their lacks of options up front.
Mixed Reactions
After staying in the Primera Division by just one point at the end of last season, Athletic Bilbao were on the search for a new manager who could take the side forward and avoid a repeat of the relegation battles that have plagued the team in the last couple of years.
Bilbao's board elected to appoint Joaquín Caparrós, who had recently parted company with Deportivo La Coruña. The decision was met by some criticism in the local media, claiming that a Southern man such as Caparrós - born in Sevilla - could not begin to understand the Northern and Basque traditions that are at the heart of Athletic Bilbao.
Their Cantera policy, which sees them only recruit players from a Basque background, severely limits the players that a manager is able to target and Caparrós has had to try and improve results on the pitch with practically the same squad that survived on the final day of last season.
Unsurprisingly, results have not really improved and with the midway point in the season approaching, Bilbao find themselves in the same position they finished last season: 17th.
They lost their first league game of 2008 away to Racing Santander 1-0 despite having numerous chances to score. Their home form has been average so far this season and they will be looking to make the San Mamés the fortress it once was in the second half of the season.
Coming Back Together
Sevilla finished last season just five points away from eventual champions Real Madrid in third and were expected to be among the challengers for the 2007/08 campaign.
4-1 victories in both of their first two games seemed to confirm this belief, but they were followed by a poor run of results, which left Sevilla squarely in mid-table at the beginning of October.
Just a week after an away victory at Levante brough their poor run to an end, Sevilla's manager Juande Ramos resigned from his position to take up the vacancy at Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premiership.
Manolo Jiménez stepped up from the reserve team to take over first-team affairs and after a patchy start has steered Sevilla to a run of eight games unbeaten in all competitions.
Sevilla have been excellent at home, scoring ten goals in their last three league games at the Sánchez Pizjuán, but their away form has been less than great.
Jiménez will look to turn that around in 2008 and will see Saturday's tie with Bilbao as the ideal opportunity to get an away victory under his belt.
FORM
Athletic Bilbao
Recent MatchesMatch Result Date Championship
Athletic Bilbao - Espanyol 1 - 1 09/01/2008 COPA DEL REY
Racing - Athletic Bilbao 1 - 0 06/01/2008 LA LIGA
Athletic Bilbao - Murcia 1 - 1 23/12/2007 LA LIGA
Mallorca - Athletic Bilbao 0 - 0 16/12/2007 LA LIGA
Athletic Bilbao - Real Madrid 0 - 1 08/12/2007 LA LIGA
Valencia - Athletic Bilbao 0 - 3 02/12/2007 LA LIGA
Sevilla
Recent MatchesMatch Result Date Championship
Sevilla - Barcelona 1 - 1 09/01/2008 COPA DEL REY
Sevilla - Betis 3 - 0 06/01/2008 LA LIGA
Sevilla - Racing 4 - 1 22/12/2007 LA LIGA
Valladolid - Sevilla 0 - 0 16/12/2007 LA LIGA
Slavia Praha - Sevilla 0 - 3 12/12/2007 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Sevilla - Murcia 3 - 1 09/12/2007 LA LIGA
TEAM NEWS
Athletic Bilbao
Iraizoz, Aitor Ocio and Joseba Etxeberria are still out injured so the only change is likely to be a return to a 4-4-2 formation now that Aritz Aduriz is fully fit to partner Fernando Llorente up front.
Probable Starting XI: Aranzubia, Iraola, Ustaritz, Amorebieta, Koikili, Orbaiz, Lopez, Yeste, Garmendia, Llorente, Aduriz.
Sevilla
Arouna Kone, Seydou Keita and Fredi Kanoute are away at the African Cup of Nations; Ivica Dragutinovic and Luis Fabiano are suspended; Andres Palop, Alexandr Kerzhakov and Javi Navarro are injured.
Jiménez wishes to stick with his favoured 4-4-2 formation and with a lack of strikers is likely to move Renato forward from midfield to partner Javier Chevanton up front.
Probable Starting XI: De Sanctis, Daniel Alves, Mosquera, Escude, Crespo, Navas, Maresca, Poulson, Capal, Renato, Chevanton.
PREDICTION
Sevilla have struggled away from home so far this season and with so many attacking players unavailable, it is hard to see them scoring more than once on Saturday. Athletic Bilbao will be desperate to get a home victory to start a revival in the second half of the campaign, but despite their best efforts I can see this being a score-draw.
Athletic Bilbao 1-1 Sevilla
There is bound to be an excellent atmosphere inside the San Mamés for Bilbao's first home league game in 2008, as Joaquín Caparrós' side look to improve on their decidedly dicey league position, which sees them just one place and one point away from the relegation places.
Sevilla go into the match in 8th place in the league and will be looking to follow their convincing victory in last week's derby against Real Betis with an away victory at Bilbao, despite their lacks of options up front.
Mixed Reactions
After staying in the Primera Division by just one point at the end of last season, Athletic Bilbao were on the search for a new manager who could take the side forward and avoid a repeat of the relegation battles that have plagued the team in the last couple of years.
Bilbao's board elected to appoint Joaquín Caparrós, who had recently parted company with Deportivo La Coruña. The decision was met by some criticism in the local media, claiming that a Southern man such as Caparrós - born in Sevilla - could not begin to understand the Northern and Basque traditions that are at the heart of Athletic Bilbao.
Their Cantera policy, which sees them only recruit players from a Basque background, severely limits the players that a manager is able to target and Caparrós has had to try and improve results on the pitch with practically the same squad that survived on the final day of last season.
Unsurprisingly, results have not really improved and with the midway point in the season approaching, Bilbao find themselves in the same position they finished last season: 17th.
They lost their first league game of 2008 away to Racing Santander 1-0 despite having numerous chances to score. Their home form has been average so far this season and they will be looking to make the San Mamés the fortress it once was in the second half of the season.
Coming Back Together
Sevilla finished last season just five points away from eventual champions Real Madrid in third and were expected to be among the challengers for the 2007/08 campaign.
4-1 victories in both of their first two games seemed to confirm this belief, but they were followed by a poor run of results, which left Sevilla squarely in mid-table at the beginning of October.
Just a week after an away victory at Levante brough their poor run to an end, Sevilla's manager Juande Ramos resigned from his position to take up the vacancy at Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premiership.
Manolo Jiménez stepped up from the reserve team to take over first-team affairs and after a patchy start has steered Sevilla to a run of eight games unbeaten in all competitions.
Sevilla have been excellent at home, scoring ten goals in their last three league games at the Sánchez Pizjuán, but their away form has been less than great.
Jiménez will look to turn that around in 2008 and will see Saturday's tie with Bilbao as the ideal opportunity to get an away victory under his belt.
FORM
Athletic Bilbao
Recent MatchesMatch Result Date Championship
Athletic Bilbao - Espanyol 1 - 1 09/01/2008 COPA DEL REY
Racing - Athletic Bilbao 1 - 0 06/01/2008 LA LIGA
Athletic Bilbao - Murcia 1 - 1 23/12/2007 LA LIGA
Mallorca - Athletic Bilbao 0 - 0 16/12/2007 LA LIGA
Athletic Bilbao - Real Madrid 0 - 1 08/12/2007 LA LIGA
Valencia - Athletic Bilbao 0 - 3 02/12/2007 LA LIGA
Sevilla
Recent MatchesMatch Result Date Championship
Sevilla - Barcelona 1 - 1 09/01/2008 COPA DEL REY
Sevilla - Betis 3 - 0 06/01/2008 LA LIGA
Sevilla - Racing 4 - 1 22/12/2007 LA LIGA
Valladolid - Sevilla 0 - 0 16/12/2007 LA LIGA
Slavia Praha - Sevilla 0 - 3 12/12/2007 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Sevilla - Murcia 3 - 1 09/12/2007 LA LIGA
TEAM NEWS
Athletic Bilbao
Iraizoz, Aitor Ocio and Joseba Etxeberria are still out injured so the only change is likely to be a return to a 4-4-2 formation now that Aritz Aduriz is fully fit to partner Fernando Llorente up front.
Probable Starting XI: Aranzubia, Iraola, Ustaritz, Amorebieta, Koikili, Orbaiz, Lopez, Yeste, Garmendia, Llorente, Aduriz.
Sevilla
Arouna Kone, Seydou Keita and Fredi Kanoute are away at the African Cup of Nations; Ivica Dragutinovic and Luis Fabiano are suspended; Andres Palop, Alexandr Kerzhakov and Javi Navarro are injured.
Jiménez wishes to stick with his favoured 4-4-2 formation and with a lack of strikers is likely to move Renato forward from midfield to partner Javier Chevanton up front.
Probable Starting XI: De Sanctis, Daniel Alves, Mosquera, Escude, Crespo, Navas, Maresca, Poulson, Capal, Renato, Chevanton.
PREDICTION
Sevilla have struggled away from home so far this season and with so many attacking players unavailable, it is hard to see them scoring more than once on Saturday. Athletic Bilbao will be desperate to get a home victory to start a revival in the second half of the campaign, but despite their best efforts I can see this being a score-draw.
Athletic Bilbao 1-1 Sevilla
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