Euskaraz irakurri: Athletic vs Mallorca, lehorteari amaiera emateko erronka

He Athletic Club and the Majorca They face each other this Saturday at the Sevillian stadium of La Cartuja in the Copa del Rey final 2023/24a match that is presented as a true date with history, a challenge to end a drought of 40 years, in the case of Ernesto Valverde’s team, and 21, in that of Javier Aguirre’s team. EITB will broadcast the final live, which starts at 10:00 p.m., through ETB1 and eitb.eus.

A duel of styles is presumed: that of vertigo and intensity, embodied by Athletic, which, in view of the development of the season, goes to the match as a favorite, and that of block and firmness at the back, which has pushed towards its fourth cup final against Mallorca.

The Basque team searches in Seville, again in La Cartuja, the scene of its latest disappointments in the competition, your most desired cupwhich he has not achieved for 40 years, after being the undisputed king of cups for almost a century.

It would be number 24, according to official statistics, and the 25th recorded by the club itself, which includes among them the Coronation Cup of 1902, the tournament on the occasion of the coronation celebrations of Alfonso which since then became known as the Cup with its different surnames. He Athletic He claims as his own the cup from the first edition, that of 1902, which the Royal Spanish Football Federation attributes to Bizkaia; In fact, Athletic displays the trophy in the display cases of its museum.

The Bilbao team reaches what will be its fortieth final, understanding as such the stakes that gave it its titles or its 15 runners-up finishes. Without a doubt, this is the title that Athletic has desired the most, because it lost in the last six finals it reached, the first of them in 1985, the year after its last title, and the last five, already in this last one. decade and a half of continually coming face to face with Leo Messi’s FC Barcelona.

Although Real Sociedad also prevented him from reaching the long-awaited tournament, which won the longest final in memory, that of 2020, which had to be played a year later than it was scheduled due to the pandemic.

The Biscayan team has not won since 1984. Forty years have passed since they won at the Santiago Bernabéu against Barcelona for 1-0. The winning goal of the team he directed Javier Clemente I write it down Endika Guarrotxena shortly before the quarter of an hour, which found no response in the Argentine’s box César Luis Menottiin which they played, among others, Diego Armando Maradona and Bernd Schuster.

That match is also remembered for the incidents that happened at the end, when the players of both teams got into a fight with kicks, punches and blows of all kinds. Since then, the Athletic He has lost six finals. In total he has been in the fight for the title 39 times.

Meanwhile, the Majorca will play its fourth final. He lost the first two. fell before him Atlético de Madrid in extra time in 1991 at the Santiago Bernabéu and against the Barcelona on penalties in 1998 at Mestalla after finishing the match with a 1-1 draw.

He won in the third and last appearance in the final match, at the Martínez Valero in Elche in 2003. The team he coached Gregorio Manzano defeated 3-0 Huelva Recreational with a penalty from the Uruguayan Walter Pandiani and a double from the Cameroonian Samuel Eto’o.

To this quote, however, Athletic arrives almost full: after a defeat at the Santiago Bernabéu, which was in the script due to its inopportune placement on the calendar, but fighting against Atlético de Madrid for a place in the Champions League next year, and, in the Cup, counting all the games played as victories : seven; including one to FC Barcelona and two to Atlético Mdrid.

He does it with a team full of intensity, pressure on the rival, deployment and offensive spirit. And a luxury forward with the internationals Nico and Iñaki Williams and Oihan Sancetaccompanied by the discovery of Gorka Guruzeta (15 goals so far this season).

And with a very balanced and reliable eleven directed by Ernesto Valverde, who will not have another of his stars, the goalkeeper Unai Simón, starter with Spain, because for the Cup he has chosen Julen Agirrezabala.

In sports, in addition to defeating a Mallorca team that he considers very difficult to beat, the Rojibanco coach’s concerns are how Nico Williams and Yeray Alvarezboth in doubt due to muscle problems.

Although both seem to be available, Yeray, whose injury occurred this last Sunday at the Santiago Bernabéu, is more than likely to remain on the bench from the start. Therefore, the central pair will be composed of Dani Vivian and Aitor Paredes.

The sides will be occupied by the experienced Oscar de Marcos and Yuri Berchicheand for the double pivot of the 1-4-2-3-1 that is so popular, the favorites are the ex-Mallorca player Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta and Beñat Prados. Two unexpected gifts for Athletic this season, which have raised their team’s level of play far above what was expected.

“Mallorca will give everything”

Aguirre’s Mallorca feels very comfortable with the status of great favorite of its rival, but the team, deep down, knows that it has options and will fight to touch the sky to lift the second trophy in its history, after the one he conquered in 2003 in Elche.

“Mallorca will give everything.” It is the phrase that summarizes the feeling of the players, coaching staff, management and the 21,000 fans who will accompany the team at the La Cartuja stadium this Saturday.

Aguirre did not want to show his cards before the decisive clash. In the last training session held at the Son Bibiloni facilities, the coach had all of his players, among them, the center back Martin Valjent and the midfielder Omar Mascarell. The participation of both raised doubts, but it is likely that they will be at the coach’s disposal, if he deems it appropriate.

Aguirre can repeat his now classic defensive block in the final, made up of three center backs and two wingers with an offensive vocation, like the Uruguayan Gio Gonzalez (scorer of the goal in the 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad at the Reale Arena), and the Valencian James Costa.

In goal, the Slovakian Dominic Greif will maintain the ownership that he has earned with decisive interventions, escorted in the center of the defense, possibly, by Martin Valjent, Antonio Raillo and Jose Copete.

If the vermilion team takes the field with two forwards (Muriqi and Larín or Abdón Prats), Samu Costa, Sergi Darder and Dani Rodríguez They will make up the center of the field; If only Muriqi plays up front, the wide zone will be reinforced with a fourth central midfielder, possibly Manu Morlanes.

Statistics

Athletic and Mallorca (the Bilbao team will be the local team, as it is older than its rival) present in this edition of the Cup some statistics which, as the image accompanying this text shows, clearly explain why the two teams classified for the final are the ones called to fight for the title. Valverde’s men have done more goals2.6 per game, Aguirre’s team has made 2.1 on average, and both squads have fitted 0.4 points per game; the Athletic finish off more on goal (7.1 times per match, Mallorca does so on 5.4 occasions), and also plays more in the opposite area: On average, they have 29.3 touches per game in the rival area, while the Balearic team accumulates an average of 22.3.

Probable lineups:

– Athletic Club: Agirrezabala, De Marcos, Vivian, Paredes, Yuri, Prados, Galarreta, Iñaki Williams, Sancet, Nico Williams and Guruzeta.

– RCD Mallorca: Greif, Gío González, Valjent, Raillo, Copete, Jaume Costa, Samu Costa, Sergi Darder, Manu Morlanes, Dani Rodríguez and Muriqi.

Referee: José Luis Munuera Montero (Andalusian Committee).

Stadium: The Charterhouse.

Hour: 22:00.

Source: Eitb

Kingston

Kingston is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.