Athletic Club face a tricky trip to Valencia to take on a Levante side desperate for points this Wednesday. The LaLiga sixth matchday fixture represents a chance for the Bilbao side to get back to winning ways after their latest stumble at home.
The red-and-whites arrive following a 1-1 draw with Elche last Saturday, a result that halted the momentum from their emphatic 3-0 win over Atlético Madrid. In that match, Iñaki Williams scored the equaliser in the 79th minute, though he is now sidelined alongside Gorka Guruzeta and Peio Canales. Athletic's recent form is mixed, with two wins, a draw and two defeats in their last five outings.
Opponents in a rough patch
Levante host the lions at a difficult time. The granotas fell 2-4 to Barcelona in their last match at the Estadio Ciudad de Valencia. Their only win in that spell was a hefty 5-2 victory over Betis. Striker Etta Eyong is their main absentee with a muscle injury keeping him out until the end of the month.
For Athletic, the absence of Iñaki Williams is a blow, but the team trusts in the good form of top scorer Robert Navarro, who has two goals this season. The defence, with Yeray and Laporte starting the last match, will need to be solid to stop a Levante attack that has shown its potency. The upcoming schedule can be checked on our fixtures page, which details the busy September agenda.
The match is scheduled for Wednesday, 16 September at 21:30 local time. A win would allow Athletic to keep pace with the top spots in the standings and move past the frustration of the Elche draw.
