San Mamés focuses on the fight for Europe

With the League title at the gates of the sentence in favor of Real Madrid, the fight for the three remaining places in the Champions League, the two in the Europa League and the seventh that grants a ticket for the second edition of the Conference League keeps the swords in Everything tall. Barça, Sevilla and Atlético have an advantage on the way to the top continental competition. Of the three, the mattress team is the one with the least margin for confusion, with a four-point advantage over Betis and six over Real Sociedad, the two teams with a place in the Europa League.

The narrow margin with fifteen points still at stake and the visit to San Mamés do not invite confidence, as Simeone has insisted throughout the week. And it is that Athletic still maintains the hope of returning to Europe, even if it is through the Conference League, the smallest of continental competitions. The lions are four points away from Villarreal, owner right now of the seventh and last place in the League that grants a passport to the Old Continent.

Waiting to see how Betis manages the hangover of the cupbearer title in its visit to Getafe on Sunday, with the permanence on track but still in need of points to close it, and if Real meets the forecasts in Vallecas against a Rayo that settled virtually its continuity in the First Division with the historic victory at the Camp Nou, Atlético went to the Cathedral with the need to score points to get closer to the Champions League.

Without the injured Joao Félix and Lemar, in addition to the absence of the suspended Savic, Simeone points to a defense with Llorente and Lodi as lanes, and Giménez, Hermoso and Reinildo in the back line. Cholo has rehearsed in recent sessions with Herrera and Kondogbia as a pair of midfielders, to the detriment of Koke, and Griezmann, Luis Suárez and Carrasco as attacking front. Meanwhile, at Athletic Marcelino finally has Vesga for his spinal cord after the Competition Committee withdrew the second yellow card he saw against Cádiz. On the other hand, the Asturian coach has Sancet, Lekue and Villalibre between cottons.