Valencia-Athletic Bilbao is a King’s Cup quarter-final match to be played on Thursday at 20:00: predictions, analysis and likely line-ups.
Not even the grit of a coach with a notoriously sanguine character like Rino Gattuso seems to be the right medicine to lift Valencia’s fortunes. The team led by the former AC Milan and Napoli coach struggles to find continuity and disappoint punctually whenever a change of pace seems imminent. Last Monday’s disappointing draw against Almeria (2-2) is a clear example of this.
Cavani and his team-mates were coming off an excellent performance in the Spanish Super Cup against Real Madrid, who were forced to concede on penalties, and a 4-0 win over Sporting Gijon in the Copa del Rey, against a lower-ranked side but in a traditionally hostile stadium like the Molinon. The league match against the dangerous Andalusians, so far disastrous on the road, seemed a formality, but Valencia did not go beyond a draw, being twice caught by Rubi’s red-and-whites, who returned with a precious point from the Mestalla. A performance that continues to be too erratic for Gattuso’s men. The risk, at this point, is to stay out of the European cups for another season. The Bats are currently 12th, with eight points to make up on sixth-placed Betis. But at the same time they also have to watch their backs, as in the right-hand side of the standings the distances are very small and the third-last place is only three points away.
The cup becomes a priority for Gattuso
Like other teams who are not doing well in La Liga, Valencia will be aiming hard to make their way into the Copa del Rey, where they have eliminated La Nucia and Gijon in the first rounds.
Inaki Williams
In the quarter-finals at the Mestalla comes Ernesto Valverde’s Athletic Bilbao, who have six more points in the standings and are close to the European zone. Along the lines of Valencia, the Basques are paying the price for excessive discontinuity: in the new year, between the various competitions, they have won twice, lost twice and drawn once. In the championship on Sunday came the second defeat in a row after the one in the derby against Real Sociedad: this time Athletic surrendered to Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid, who had an easy enough time at the San Mames (0-2).
The Prediction
Neither team seems to be clear favourites to qualify for the semi-finals. Athletic Bilbao may have a few more certainties, as the standings show, but there are all the ingredients for an open match. Valencia should be able to avoid defeat in the 90 minutes in a match of less than three goals overall.
Valencia-Athletic Bilbao’s likely line-up
- VALENCIA (4-3-3): Mamardashvili; Foulquier, Paulista, Diakhaby, Gayà; Musah, Guillamon, Almeida; Kluivert, Cavani, Lino.
- ATHLETIC BILBAO (4-2-3-1): Agirrezabalada; De Marcos, Yeray, Vivian, Yuri; Vesga, Zarraga; I. Williams, Sancet, N. Williams; Guruzeta.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-1