Athletic Bilbao face Valencia CF this Saturday, 17 October, at 9:00 p.m. at the Mestalla Stadium, in matchday 9 of LaLiga EA Sports 2026-27. The fixture carries added significance as part of Valencia's 'Mestalla és Etern' campaign, honouring the final season at their historic ground, and includes a specially commissioned commemorative poster for the occasion.
The artwork, created in collaboration with Valencian artist Lawerta, pays tribute to Vicente Claramunt, one of the most important figures in Valencia's history. The midfielder, captain and Spanish international wore the che shirt for twelve seasons, making almost 450 appearances and scoring 90 goals. His honours include the 1967 Copa del Generalísimo and the 1970-71 La Liga title, and he was the first Valencia-born player to captain the Spanish national team.
League context
Athletic arrive for the match tenth in the table with eight points from six games, while Valencia sit 19th with just four points. The Bilbao side, who have a game in hand, are coming off a 0-0 draw with Rayo Vallecano, a match that was temporarily suspended and ultimately not resumed. Their recent form in the competition reads one win, three draws and one defeat from their last five outings.
Meanwhile, the home team has managed only one league win this season, a 1-0 victory at Deportivo Alavés, and suffered a 0-5 thrashing by Barcelona at Mestalla. Forward Robert Navarro is Athletic's top scorer in the competition with two goals, followed by Álex Berenguer, Oihan Sancet, Aitor Paredes and Nico Williams with one each. The participation of the latter, who sustained a moderate-grade muscle injury on international duty with Spain, is pending further medical assessment.
The match marks the resumption of league action for the lions after last weekend's postponement.
The report in full is at valenciacf.com
