Athletic Club vs Rayo Vallecano

Athletic Bilbao will aim to snap their run of three consecutive goalless draws across all competitions when they welcome Rayo Vallecano to San Mames for a La Liga clash on Sunday night.

Ernesto Valverde’s men currently sit fourth in the La Liga standings, holding a six-point cushion over fifth-placed Villarreal. However, the race for Champions League qualification remains open, with Villarreal having a game in hand. Meanwhile, Rayo Vallecano are ninth in the table and come into this fixture following a heavy home defeat to Espanyol.

Athletic’s latest result was a 0-0 draw away at Rangers in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday, marking their third straight match without scoring—after identical league stalemates with Osasuna and Villarreal.

Though firmly in the top four, Bilbao have managed just one win in their last five league outings, with three draws during that run. A win on Sunday would give them much-needed breathing space in their pursuit of a Champions League berth.

Valverde’s side have been strong at San Mames this season, securing 30 points from 15 home matches. However, Rayo have proven to be a capable away team, also collecting 29 points from 15 games on the road.

Not long ago, Rayo Vallecano were in contention for a top-six finish, but a dip in form has seen them slide down to ninth. Last weekend’s 4-0 loss to Espanyol was a major blow, and Inigo Perez’s men have now won just one of their last seven league matches—leaving their European hopes hanging by a thread.

With 40 points from their 30 league games this season—10 wins, 10 draws, and 10 losses—Rayo sits in ninth position, eight points behind sixth-place Real Betis, and just one point ahead of Getafe in eleventh place.

Los Franjirrojos had a lot of space for development after finishing 17th in La Liga the previous season. The team has had a successful season and will undoubtedly aim for a top-half finish.

The Lions defeated Rayo 4-0 at San Mames last season, and Rayo has lost all three of their league encounters with Athletic, including a 2-1 loss in Madrid earlier this season.