Previews
SUN 25.01.2015
Athletic Club welcome Málaga CF on matchday 20 of the Liga BBVA. Ernesto Valverde’s men cannot afford any more slip-ups and are in need of a win to curb a bad run that has seen them suffer four league defeats in a row.
Despite sitting seventh in the table with 31 points, Málaga have not tasted victory for three consecutive matchdays, so adding to their tally at San Mamés will be crucial for Javi Gracia’s men in the fight for the European places.
Team news
Ignacio Camacho is the major new face in the Málaga squad, while Vitorino Antunes, Javi Guerra and Egor Filipenko are also included. However, the injured trio of Flavio Ferreira, Roberto Chen and Sergio Sánchez, as well as the suspended Recio, miss out on Gracia’s list. For the home side, Óscar De Marcos and Guillermo Fernández are unavailable through injury and Iker Muniain serves a suspension.
Views from the dugout
"We’re treating this match like a cup final and we won’t hold anything back. We want to start the second half of the season with a win," insisted the coach of the albiazules. Meanwhile, Valverde expressed his faith in his side’s chances: "I think Málaga are more dangerous. Their level of confidence is greater, but my team looks in good shape to me, they never let their heads drop regardless of whether things are coming off for them. We want to start from zero, with a good taste in the mouth and the knowledge that from here on our league season will be different."
© LALIGA - 2015