Atleti seek three points at tough San Mamés
Our team travels to Bilbao to face Athletic Club, who haven't lost any league matches at their stadium since Oct. 5 and who have kept five clean sheets in their last seven home games.
Atleti faces Athletic Club away from home on Saturday at 6.30 p.m. CET with the intention to earn three important points before the international break. The match will pose a tough challenge, as the Basque side has registered one of the best home records in LaLiga in the last few months.
Gaizka Garitano's side hasn't lost at San Mamés since Oct. 5. Moreover, they have only conceded three goals at their stadium since that day, and have kept five clean sheets in their last seven home games. Since their coach's arrival, Athletic Club have lost just two of 13 matches, leaving them just six points off Europe and nine above relegation zone.
Nonetheless, our most recent encounters with the Bilbao side have been positive. Out of our last 11 games, we've won nine and drawn two. The last time we faced Athletic Club, this season at the Wanda Metropolitano, we earned a 3-2 victory thanks to goals from Thomas, Rodrigo and a 92nd-minute Godín winner.
Atleti, who currently sit second in the LaLiga standings, have won the last four league matches without conceding any goals in the process. If we win and keep a clean sheet at San Mamés, it will be the first time in our history that we do so for five consecutive games in the top tier of Spanish football. It will certainly be tough, but it's doable for a team that holds the best defensive record in LaLiga (17 goals conceded in 27 matches) and for a keeper, Jan Oblak, who has won the last three Zamora Trophies.
