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Opposition lowdown: Athletic
Basque club are next opponents for Espanyol
RCD Espanyol are back on the road in LaLiga, as they travel to the Basque Country to face Athletic on Sunday.
Athletic have had an impressive start to the season, remaining unbeaten in their opening three games without conceding a goal. Espanyol are looking to bounce back from consecutive defeats while extending their decent recent away form.
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Name: Athletic Club
Nickname: Los Leones (The Lions)
Manager: Ernesto Valverde
Stadium: San Mamés – 53,331 capacity
Last match: W 4-0 vs Cádiz CF
Last season: 8th
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Last meeting
If the last meeting in February is anything to go by, neither team will waste any time getting stuck into each other. Tonny Vilhena put Espanyol ahead inside three minutes on their last visit to San Mamés, but sadly could not hold on to the lead for long.
Athletic roared back, equalising moments later before Iñigo Martínez headed the eventual winner just 16 minutes into the game. Espanyol will be aiming for their first victory in Bilbao since May 2018, when they secured a 1-0 win on the final day.
Key player
Iker Muniain has been Athletic’s lead force on and off the pitch throughout his career, rising through the club’s academy like many of its players and becoming first team captain.
Playing on the left wing, the 29-year-old is the focal point of the Athletic attack and has been a constant throughout the years. Last season was statistically his best in LaLiga, as Muniain got 11 assists – his first double figure tally - and four goals for the club.
Club links
There will be a familiar face for pericos in the opposition dugout, with Valverde back at Athletic for a third managerial spell. He managed Espanyol from 2006 to 2008, guiding the club to their most recent final appearance in the 2007 UEFA Cup.
Valverde has also played for both clubs and made 200 combined appearances for Espanyol and Athletic. Just like his subsequent managerial career, he spent two years at Espanyol and reached a UEFA Cup Final in 1988, holding the unique accolade to have played a role in both of the club’s European finals.