Sevilla – Athletic Bilbao

Athletic will not take risks against Sevilla from the opening minutes

Sevilla take on Athletic at home on Matchday 38 of the La Liga. The Andalusians have secured their place in next year's Champions League, but for the visitors the match is very important. Athletic are one point behind Villarreal at the moment, but the rival is playing away against Barcelona. There are very good last-minute chances of qualifying for the European Cup. If we take advanced statistical indicators, Marcelino's club should be fighting for the top four. There have been three wins in their last five matches, but the fiasco against Granada spoils the picture badly. A defeat to an outsider could be decisive in the battle for European competition. The quality of their defence is remarkable. In four games they only conceded once. The team is motivated to fight for European competitions. The big problem is injuries. Key player Raul Garcia will miss the match. Also, Nico Williams will not play. Sevilla have failed in the second part of the season. With great difficulty Lopetegui's men qualified for the Champions League. It could have been postponed until the last round, but they managed to snatch a draw against Atletico. At the end of the season, Sevilla's quality of play is more in line with that of a mid-table side and certainly not outclassed by the Basques. The important point is that Sevilla have only two wins in the last ten rounds. The team has drawn four straight away games. On the final matchday, Sevilla's reserves are likely to come out. Julen Lopetegui is capable of various experiments with the squad. There are no major injuries. Only Gudel and Fernando are missing. The bookmakers in the line-up give roughly equal odds on the opponents with a slight advantage for Sevilla. If Villarreal loses to Barcelona in the parallel encounter, Marcelino's charges will be satisfied with a draw from a tournament point of view. The team has the advantage in their head-to-head encounters. Sevilla are on a higher level when it comes to performance, but the lack of motivation and the reserve squad should do the trick. A cautious even match without many goals is likely.