On Friday night, the first match of the La Liga week is played at San Mames between Athletic Club vs Elche and the situation is evident to both teams. Athletic are propelling towards Europe and Elche are struggling to put their season on its feet. Athletic Club is ranked number 9 with 31 points.
They are just four points of the leading six. The consecutive victories against Levante and Oviedo have reaffirmed faith in the team of Ernesto Valverde. Those won in the nick of the time following a poor streak of performances. There is however one obvious concern. Athletic is not yet able to maintain a clean sheet in 13 matches.
That is a weakness that might develop into a major problem unless it is dealt with promptly. At home, however, they have been strong. San Mames is still among the hardest stadiums in Spain. Team energy is usually given by the crowd to boost the team in close matches. Athletically, there is enough quality in them to put Elche on the wrong. Their attack is aggressive and straight forward. They cause actual problems to defenses of the opposition when they dribble the ball through the wings at a high speed.
Attacking like that would be fatal to an opponent who was fighting with his confidence. Elche come into this game feeling pressured. They have struggled to be consistent and in most cases they fight high against high-pressure teams. It will not be easy to go against Athletic outside the house. They should remain small and disciplined not to give up early.
To my mind, this game will rely on the defensive orientation of Athletic. In the event that they close in the back, their attacking should be worth three points.
