Athletic Bilbao head to Levante this Wednesday looking to build on the momentum from their emphatic win over Atletico Madrid. The LaLiga match, the sixth of the season, kicks off at the Estadio Ciudad de Valencia at 19:30 UTC.
Ernesto Valverde's side are in a patch of form with two wins from their last three games, including the 3-0 victory against Atletico on September 5th. Their most recent outing, however, was a 1-1 home draw with Elche, where Iñaki Williams scored the equaliser in the 79th minute. That result leaves Athletic with seven points from a possible fifteen at the start of the campaign, a tally they aim to improve upon in Valencia.
Significant Absences
The main concern ahead of the trip is the absence of key forwards. Iñaki Williams, who scored against Elche, joins Gorka Guruzeta and Peio Canales on the injury list. This leaves the manager with limited options to configure his attack, placing greater responsibility on Nico Williams and Oihan Sancet, who was on the scoresheet against Atletico.
Levante, meanwhile, have had an inconsistent start with one win, two draws, and two defeats from their opening five matches. They are coming off a 4-2 home loss to Barcelona. Their only confirmed absentee is Cameroonian forward Etta Eyong, sidelined with a thigh injury and expected to return around the end of the month.
Athletic's starting lineup last time out featured Unai Simón; Jesús Areso, Yeray, Aymeric Laporte, Yuri; Ruíz de Galarreta, Beñat Gerenabarrena; Robert Navarro, Oihan Sancet, Nico Williams; and Iñaki Williams. Valverde may be forced to adjust this setup due to the attacking absences. Fans can check the full schedule and injury updates on our fixtures and injuries pages. The match represents a key opportunity to pick up points on the road ahead of the next international break.
