Athletic Bilbao return to San Mames on Sunday knowing that league form must improve quickly if they are to avoid being dragged deeper into the lower half of the table. Despite sitting 11th, the Lions are only three points clear of the relegation zone and have gone over two months without a La Liga victory, their last success coming in early December against Atletico Madrid. With European commitments now out of the way following their Champions League exit, domestic consistency is no longer optional but essential.

Ernesto Valverde’s side did at least find some momentum in midweek, edging Valencia 2-1 in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals, a result that could act as a psychological release after a difficult run. Heavy fixture congestion has clearly taken its toll on Athletic’s league output, and that is reflected in a modest home record of 17 points from 11 matches. Even at San Mames, they have struggled to control games for long periods, often allowing opponents to stay competitive deep into matches.

Levante arrive in Bilbao in a far more desperate position but with slightly steadier recent form. Sitting 19th, five points from safety, Luis Castro’s side have shown signs of resilience in recent weeks, collecting four points from their last two matches, including a goalless draw against Atletico Madrid. With no cup distractions, Levante have been able to focus entirely on survival, and their recent record of just one defeat in six league games reflects that renewed discipline.

Historically, however, this fixture strongly favours Athletic. Levante have won just eight of the last 37 meetings between the sides and have not beaten the Basque club since 2018, losing 2-0 in the reverse fixture earlier this season. Team news also tilts slightly toward the hosts, with both Williams brothers expected to start, giving Athletic pace and directness that Levante have struggled to contain in past encounters.

Levante’s recent resilience makes this uncomfortable, but Athletic’s superior quality in wide areas and the San Mames factor should be enough to edge a tight contest and finally end their league winless run.

毕尔巴鄂竞技队在周日回到圣马梅斯，他们知道如果他们想要避免被拖入积分榜的下半区，就必须迅速提高联赛状态。尽管排名第11位，但狮子队距离降级区只有3分的距离，并且已经两个多月没有在西甲联赛中获胜，他们的最后一场胜利是在12月初对阵马德里竞技。在欧冠出局后，欧洲赛场的承诺已经不复存在，国内的稳定不再是可有可无的，而是必不可少的。

埃内斯托·巴尔韦德的球队至少在周中找到了一些动力，在国王杯四分之一决赛中以2-1击败瓦伦西亚，这一结果可能是在艰难的比赛之后的心理释放。严重的赛程拥堵显然对竞技的联赛成绩造成了影响，这反映在11场比赛中仅得17分的适度主场战绩上。即使在圣梅斯，他们也很难在很长一段时间内控制比赛，经常让对手在比赛中保持竞争力。

莱万特来到毕尔巴鄂时的处境要糟糕得多，但他们最近的状态稍微稳定一些。路易斯·卡斯特罗（Luis Castro）的球队目前排名第19位，距离安全只有5分，最近几周他们表现出了恢复的迹象，在最近两场比赛中拿到了4分，其中包括一场0比0战平马德里竞技（Atletico Madrid）的比赛。没有杯赛的干扰，莱万特已经能够完全专注于生存，他们最近六场联赛只输了一场的记录反映了新的纪律。

然而，从历史上看，这一赛程对竞技非常有利。莱万特在两队最近37次交锋中只赢了8场，而且自2018年以来从未击败过巴斯克俱乐部，本赛季早些时候在逆转比赛中以0比2输掉了比赛。球队方面的消息也略微偏向东道主，威廉姆斯兄弟都有望首发，这给了莱万特在过去的比赛中难以控制的竞技速度和直接性。

莱万特最近的恢复能力让人感到不舒服，但竞技在大范围内的出色表现和圣梅斯的因素应该足以在激烈的竞争中取得优势，并最终结束他们的联赛不败。