Basque Derby preview: Athletic Club and Real Sociedad set to lock horns for a ticket to Europe

New Delhi, Jan 10 (IANS) This weekend’s Basque Derby between Athletic Club and Real Sociedad could be worth much more than just three points and a week’s worth of bragging rights, given that the two clubs are locked in a fierce battle for European qualification.

At the halfway stage of the league season, Real Madrid and Girona FC have distanced themselves from their pursuers at the top, but the battle to qualify for Europe is wide open and Los Rojiblancos and Los Blanquiazules are going to be at the heart of this fight.

Real Sociedad returned to the Champions League this season for the first time since 2013/14, that is 10 years ago. Athletic Club, meanwhile, haven’t played in European competition since the 2017/18 campaign, when they played in the Europa League and were defeated in the Round of 16 by Marseille.

These are two former La Liga champions who want to become regulars in the top continental competitions and who will battle this season for a European ticket.

Ernesto Valverde’s Athletic Club are having their best start to a season in decades. They are very much in the Champions League race, currently right behind FC Barcelona and ahead of Atlético de Madrid, in fourth place with 38 points.

Sustained by their spectacular home record, Los Rojiblancos are dreaming not only of returning to Europe but of doing so by finishing in the top four. They have won seven of their 10 home games so far and lost just one, on the opening weekend against Real Madrid. Since that match on August 12, they haven’t lost in front of their home fans, who will back them in this weekend’s Basque Derby.

Although Real Sociedad’s first half of this season is a little worse than last term’s (32 points currently compared to 39 points last season, and in sixth place in contrast to third a year ago), the dream of a repeat appearance in the Champions League remains alive, as does the desire for a fifth consecutive appearance in Europe.

Imanol Alguacil’s outfit are solid and hardly concede any goals, especially away from home. In the nine games they have played away from the Reale Arena this season, they have only conceded eight times. In addition to their dominance on the ball, they are able to prevent their opponents from creating too many chances and from enjoying scoring opportunities.

Whoever comes out on top in this upcoming derby will start the second half of the season with a major boost in morale, the kind that can make a good run last for a good while longer. These kind of positive runs of results ultimately determine whether a team ends up in the European zone of the standings at the end of the season. Valverde and Imanol, as two elite tacticians, will be looking ahead to the match at San Mames but also beyond. There are three points at stake and a possible ticket to Europe for two teams who will not rest until Matchday 38 of this La Liga season.

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