Europa League: Athletic Club Seeks to Leverage Home Ground Against Rangers
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Synopsis
On April 16, Athletic Club of Bilbao aims for a semifinal spot in the Europa League by facing Glasgow Rangers in the quarterfinal second leg at San Mames. After a previous comeback against Roma, they hope to capitalize on home support despite injury concerns and Rangers' strong away form.
Key Takeaways
- Athletic Club aims for semifinal spot.
- San Mames stadium will be packed with fans.
- Oihan Sancet returns after injury.
- Rangers have a strong away record in Europe.
- Inaki Williams is doubtful for the match.
Madrid, April 16 (NationPress) The Athletic Club of Bilbao is determined to advance to the semifinals of a European tournament for the third occasion in their history as they take on Glasgow Rangers in the second leg of the Europa League quarterfinals this Thursday evening.
The San Mames stadium is completely sold out as supporters are eager for another evening of European brilliance, having overturned a 2-1 deficit in the previous round with a stunning 3-0 victory over Roma.
With San Mames scheduled to host this season's final, this represents an opportunity for Athletic to better their historic performances in the tournament, where they finished as runners-up in 1977 and 2012, as reported by Xinhua.
On paper, the matchup against the Scottish side seems more favorable after a goalless draw in the first leg, although Athletic squandered multiple opportunities, including a penalty in the second half, which could have nearly guaranteed their advancement.
The positive news for the Basque team is that their leading midfielder Oihan Sancet has fully recovered from an ankle injury, as evidenced by his two second-half goals when Athletic rallied from a goal down to secure a 3-1 victory at home over Rayo Vallecano last Sunday. Midfielder Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta has also returned from a hamstring injury.
This influential pair only played 35 minutes each in the weekend match, while defenders Oscar de Marcos and Yeray Alvarez missed the entire game but will be available against Rangers. However, Inaki Williams is uncertain to play after sustaining a minor hamstring strain on Sunday.
Although Rangers are considered underdogs for this return leg, they can draw confidence from their impressive away record in Europe, boasting victories against Malmo, Nice, and Fenerbahce, alongside draws against Olympiakos and Dynamo Kiev.
Coach Barry Fergusson will be without Robin Propper, who received a red card in the first leg, while Dujon Sterling is sidelined with a tendon injury sustained last week. Nevertheless, Mohamed Diomande will return to midfield after serving a suspension last week.
Athletic aims to seize control early in front of their home crowd at San Mames, although they have faced challenges in breaking down the type of five-man defense that Rangers are expected to deploy. Conversely, Rangers will seek to exploit free kicks to deliver the ball into Athletic's penalty area.
