Getafe vs Athletic Bilbao

Athletic Bilbao aims to solidify their Champions League aspirations as they head to the Coliseum to face Getafe on Thursday.

The visitors are chasing consecutive wins, while the Azulones seek to halt a streak of five straight losses.

With 30 games played, Getafe held 11th place with 39 points, only two points shy of the top eight.

Yet, their hopes for European competition have faded due to a dismal run, dropping three consecutive matches, including four in a row without scoring.

Following a 3-1 defeat to Las Palmas, Getafe suffered 1-0 losses in three successive games against Espanyol, Real Madrid, and Rayo Vallecano, before a 3-0 thrashing by Valencia, managed by their former coach Jose Bordalas, on Saturday.

Despite slipping to 13th, Getafe remain well-positioned to avoid relegation, holding a five-point buffer above the drop zone with three matches remaining against Athletic, Mallorca, and Celta Vigo.

Getafe fans are eager for a robust showing on Thursday, as their team has secured just one victory in their last eight home league games (D2, L5).

However, their history against Athletic indicates a tough challenge, with no wins in their last eight encounters since a 2-0 triumph away in February 2020 (D7, L2).

Athletic are laser-focused on securing Champions League qualification after their Europa League final hopes at San Mames were dashed by Manchester United at Old Trafford last week.

Despite a 4-1 loss in that match and a 7-1 aggregate defeat, Athletic displayed resilience, bouncing back with a tight win in their Sunday league clash against Basque rivals Alaves.

A 71st-minute own goal by Manu Sanchez clinched a 1-0 victory, positioning Athletic on the cusp of their first Champions League appearance since the 2014-15 group stage.

With just three games remaining against Getafe, Valencia, and Barcelona, Los Leones are comfortably in fourth place with 64 points from 35 games, three points ahead of Villarreal, and six points ahead of Real Betis in sixth place.

Athletic is the favorite to play Getafe on Thursday, but their recent road record—winning just one of their last seven away games in La Liga (D4, L2)—does not give them much hope.

At least they have happy memories of their most recent visit to the Coliseum in May 2024, when they defeated Getafe 2-0 thanks to braces from Inaki Williams. That was their first league victory away from home since January 2016.