Athletic Club vs Valencia
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Today’s featured game is the Spanish Copa del Rey affair between Athletic Club and Valencia.
Having dumped out rivals Barcelona and then Real Madrid in the previous rounds of the Copa del Rey, anything but lifting the trophy would be a travesty for the Basque heavyweights. They’ve always taken this Cup seriously; that’s why they’ve won it as many times as they have. In fact, only Barcelona have won it more than they have. To Los Leones, it’s a symbol of Basque superiority over Spain so it does matter a lot here, just as it does to Barcelona for similar reasons.
I can’t honestly say that it’s the best Athletic team, but they do have the best manager they’ve had in years, and that’s enough to cover up any weak spots. As ever, they’ve got some really talented kids coming through – I don’t know how they do it with such consistency, really. They don’t even poach as many kids from the likes of CA Osasuna and Real Sociedad as they used to. It’s remarkable that they’ve never been relegated from the Primera Liga despite only ever fielding Basque players.
When you have a manager like Marcelino, it’s more than apparent at just how good he is. Athletic’s big problem for many years now is that they don’t have a good striker. They usually have to field midfielders up front, in other words. Marcelino has managed to get more goals from midfield though, or even make those that have played up front that bit more dangerous. That’s reduced the over-reliance on Raul Garcia, who isn’t getting any younger, and the likes of Sancet and Serrano have stepped up well. The Williams brothers are unplayable on their day too.
What’s been most impressive has been their defence though. Considering that Nunez, Yuri, and Capa are supposed to be regulars and yet have amassed eight appearances between them this season, Athletic’s capacity to frustrate teams has been superb. Inigo Martinez naturally plays a huge role there but Balenziaga has rolled back the years, Lekue has given everything, and Vivian has stepped up where required too in front of emerging goalkeeper Unai Simon. It’s a really solid group with great chemistry, great attitudes, and a manager that clearly trust. That combination makes Los Leones a nightmare to deal with, both physically and mentally.
Valencia haven’t been at their best in years now. That’s largely because the few good managers they stumble across tend to sack rather quickly. Marcelino, Athlteic’s current boss, was their biggest mistake on that front. He did wonderfully for them; really turned the club around. Then Peter Lim binned him off for ‘complaining about wanting more money to bring in better players’ – this after getting them back into the equation of being a top four team. Since then, they’ve become nothing again, and the only good thing right now is that they’re not in the relegation battle – yet.
I don’t think anybody could accuse Valencia of being shit because they’re not. The trouble is that having good individuals and having a good team can be two very different beasts. It’s very difficult to motivate the players at this club, as any of their previous managers can testify, which is why so few of them have managed to do so. I can’t really blame the players there; having a crazy owner is really annoying. There’s no real direction or plan at this club to get them back to the big time so I guess the general consensus in the dressing room is, “What’s the point?”.
That’s why, despite the odd talented individual like Guedes, the squad is full of talented kids that want to move elsewhere, wildly optimistic signings from lower leagues to make profit on their sale, or rejects from bigger clubs that nobody else would give the time of day to. Is it any wonder they’re getting nowhere? Of course not. Despite their talent, Valencia are soulless, spineless, and no real match for a determined Basque outfit.
For my money, the home win in tonight’s Copa del Rey offering is well worth taking.
Verdict: Athletic Club to win at 17/20.
Thursday’s Thoughts
As ever, if there are any explanations required then please feel free to post a comment! For the remainder of my thoughts on today’s games, see below, although I feel compelled to write that the below are not necessarily my tips but merely my thoughts. For confidence ratings, you’ll need to go to the members section here.
Australian A-League:
Central Coast Mariners vs Macarthur FC
English Premier League:
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Arsenal
Liverpool vs Leicester City
French Coupe de France:
FC Nantes Atlantique vs Bastia
Italian Coppa Italia:
Atalanta Bergamo vs ACF Fiorentina
Juventus vs Sassuolo
Dutch KNVB Beker:
NEC Nijmegen vs Go Ahead Eagles
Portuguese Liga 2:
Chaves vs Rio Ave
Romanian Liga 1:
U Craiova 1948 vs Botosani
Dinamo Bucharest vs Universitatea Craiova
Spanish Copa del Rey:
Athletic Club vs Valencia
Swiss Schweizer Pokal:
FC Thun vs Lugano
Enjoy your free betting tips!