Athletic aim to keep rolling against an Espanyol side that adapts

The Athletic host Espanyol at Lezama looking to extend their strong start in the league. The home side arrive on the back of two victories: they beat Levante Badalona 3-1 at home and then won in Logroño despite being down to ten from the 14th minute (0-1).

Two wins to build momentum

Coach Víctor Martín insists the message is not just about the table. As he put it, “The standings can be misleading… and make you not be self-critical and not have the ambition to improve every day”. He also focuses on performance: “Our reading should not be based on wins, but on how the team competes and how it responds in different situations.”

For the match (from midday), the Athletic squad includes Maddi, scorer of the winning goal at Las Gaunas, along with Nanclares, Astralaga, Bibi, Valero, Oguiza, Jone Amezaga, Ane Campos, Patri Zugasti, Azkona, Garazi, Pinedo, Iribarren, Sara Ortega, Vilariño, Artero, Amaia Martínez Eider and Nerea Baños.

Espanyol still to find points

Martín also highlights what makes Espanyol a tough opponent: they are “well-organised defensively and also press”, and they “make a lot of changes to their playing system”. He stresses Athletic must identify those triggers so they can react when the structure shifts.

For Espanyol, the league start has been harsh, with two straight losses (1-0 in Eibar and 0-1 versus Levante Badalona). According to Mundo Deportivo, the visitors will have Sara Monforte back in their dugout, as they look to turn things around away from home.