Preview: Espanyol vs Athletic Bilbao – prediction, team news, lineups & more related news here

Two teams with a lot at stake in the final stages of the La Liga season will meet on Wednesday night, when Espanyol host Athletic Bilbao at the RCDE Stadium.

Espanyol currently occupies 14th place in the standings. LaLiga tableonly two points above the relegation zone, while Athletic is ninth, one point behind Getafe, seventh placed.

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Match preview

Incredibly, Espanyol are still waiting for their first win of 2026, with their La Liga record this year at 12 losses and six draws in 18 matches.

The Catalan side have dropped out of European contention and now sit 14th in the division, just two points off the bottom three, and it would be a change if they were relegated from La Liga considering their form in the first half of the campaign.

Manolo González’s team comes to this match on the back of a 2-1 defeat in Sevilleand they have already lost four of their last five games in Spain’s top flight.

Espanyol has one of the worst home records in the division this season, collecting just 22 points from 17 games, while Athletic has 15 points from its 17 travel games.

Earlier this season, Espanyol recorded a 2-1 victory over Athletic at San Mamés, which turned out to be their last success in La Liga, so it could bode well for the hosts.

Athletic have won 88, lost 70 and drawn 42 of their previous 200 matches against Espanyol in all competitions, and have emerged victorious in three of the last five matches.

There is no getting around the fact that it has been a disappointing campaign for Ernesto Valverde’s side, but they can still secure European football for the 2026-27 campaign.

In fact, the Lions currently sit ninth in the La Liga table, one point behind seventh-placed Getafe, while they are six points behind Celta Vigo in sixth place.

Athletic comes into this match on the back of a 1-0 home defeat against Valenciabut they won the last game away from home, beating Alavés 4-2 earlier this month.

The Lions will enter a new era this summer, with Edin Terzic already confirmed as a replacement for the outgoing Valverde, who will be determined to secure some form of European football for the club next season.

Espanyol’s form in LaLiga:

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Athletic Bilbao’s form in La Liga:

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Team News

Espanyol will once again be without the services of Javi Puado due to a long-term knee injury, while Cyril Ngonge is a major doubt for Wednesday’s match.

Two other Espanyol players will not be available due to suspension: Fernando Calero and Tyrhys Dolan will not be available for the match against Athletic.

Kike García is expected to return in the final third of the field, while Pere Milla could also return to the starting team.

As for Athletic, Nico Williams was forced to leave the last game against Valencia due to a muscle problem, and the attacker’s participation in the 2026 World Cup with Spain could now be in doubt.

Benat Prados, Aymeric Laporte and Oihan Sancet will also need to be assessed before final decisions can be made on their participation.

Iñaki Williams is expected to replace his brother, Nico Williams, in the starting team, while there could also be places in the final third of the field for both Alex Berenguer and Unai Gómez.

Espanyol’s possible starting lineup:

Dmitrović; El Hilali, Riedel, Cabrera, Romero; Zárate, Lozano; Sánchez, Expósito, Milla; K Garcia

Possible starting lineup for Athletic Bilbao:

Simon; Areso, Vivian, Paredes, Boiro; Ruiz de Galarreta, Jauregizar; I Williams, Gómez, Berenguer; Guruzeta

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We say: Espanyol 1-1 Athletic Bilbao

 

It remains to be seen whether Espanyol’s winless streak comes to an end before the season concludes, but we find it difficult to back the Catalan side to success here, with Athletic certainly strong enough to secure at least a point on their travels.

For a data analysis of the most likely outcomes, scores and more for this match, click here.

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