Preview:Athletic Bilbao vs. Villarreal - prediction, team news, lineups

Athletic Bilbao will be bidding to bounce back from their heavy defeat to Barcelona when they resume their La Liga campaign at home to Villarreal on Sunday night.

The home side are currently sixth in the table, boasting 18 points from their opening 11 matches of the season, while Villarreal sit seventh, also collecting 18 points in Spain's top flight thus far.

Match preview

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Athletic have made a solid start to the 2022-23 La Liga campaign, collecting 18 points from 11 matches courtesy of a record of five wins, three draws and three defeats.

However, Ernesto Valverde's side are currently on a four-game winless run in Spain's top flight, with their last success coming at home to Almeria at the end of September.

Indeed, it has been an unhappy October for the Lions, who have drawn with Sevilla and Getafe, in addition to losing at home to Atletico Madrid and away to Barcelona, with the latter beating them 4-0 last weekend.

Athletic have three more league matches before the campaign breaks for the World Cup, taking on Villarreal, Girona and Real Valladolid, and they will want to be in and around the European spots by that point.

Valverde's side have finished 10th and eighth in their last two campaigns at this level, but they were fifth as recent as 2015-16, while the Basque outfit claimed fourth in 2013-14.

Athletic are also unbeaten against Villarreal in Spain's top flight since September 2018, while they recorded a 2-1 victory over the Yellow Submarine in the corresponding match last term.

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Villarreal, as mentioned, have also collected 18 points from their opening 11 matches of the season to sit seventh, just four points behind fourth-placed Real Sociedad heading into the next set of matches.

Goals have been hard to find in La Liga this term, hitting the back of the net on just 14 occasions, but they have only conceded seven, which is the second-best record in the division behind Barcelona.

Villarreal lost their head coach Unai Emery to Aston Villa earlier this week, with former Barcelona boss Quique Setien being appointed the club's new manager, and the 64-year-old took charge of his first game on Thursday evening, which was a 2-2 draw with Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the Europa Conference League.

The Yellow Submarine are through to the next round of the competition as winners of Group C, while they were also victorious in La Liga last weekend, recording a 2-1 victory over Almeria.

Villarreal have now only lost one of their last five games in all competitions, recording three wins in the process, and like Athletic, they will be looking to secure a European finish in Spain's top flight this term.

Team News

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Athletic will again be missing Ander Capa on Sunday through injury, while Ander Herrera and Dani Garcia are also expected to be absent due to the issues that they picked up against Barcelona.

As a result, Oihan Sancet and Unai Vencedor could start as the midfield two, with Alex Berenguer off the right and Iker Muniain playing from the left.

There are not expected to be any surprises in the final third, meanwhile, with Inaki Williams and Nico Williams again set to feature for the Basque outfit.

As for Villarreal, Alex Baena and Manu Morlanes are both suspended due to the red cards that they picked up in the win over Almeria last weekend.

The Yellow Submarine will also be missing Alfonso Pedraza, Gerard Moreno and Juan Foyth through injury, while Etienne Capoue is also unlikely to be involved due to a calf problem.

There will be changes from the side that started in the Europa Conference League on Thursday, with Dani Parejo, Francis Coquelin and Johan Mojica in line to return, while Nicolas Jackson should be back to lead the line.

Athletic Bilbao possible starting lineup:

Simon; De Marcos, I Martinez, Alvarez, Berchiche; Berenguer, Vencedor, Sancet, Muniain; I Williams, N Williams

Villarreal possible starting lineup:

Rulli; Femenia, Albiol, Torres, Mojica; Parejo, Coquelin, Trigueros; Danjuma, Jackson, Chukwueze

We say: Athletic Bilbao 2-2 Villarreal

There is not a huge difference in terms of the quality of these two sides, and we are expecting an open and entertaining contest on Sunday. Both managers would surely be content with a point here, and we are finding it difficult to separate them at San Mames.

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