Athletic Bilbao players. (Photo : Getty Images)
Contending clubs Athletic Bilbao (17-12-8, 59 points) and Sevilla FC (14-13-10, 52 points) are assured of their Europa League qualifying berths as they clash with one another at the San Mamés Stadium this Saturday, May 14th during the finale of the 2015-2016 La Liga season.
Athletic Bilbao currently holds the second Europa League slot as it settles at the sixth place of the league table, only a point behind fifth-running Celta Vigo. Sevilla is seven points below the Athletic Club in the overall standings, but is still in possession of the third and final Europa League berth with eight-placed team Malaga seven points away.
Los Leones is coming off a 0-0 draw with middling squad UD Las Palmas on the road at the Estadio Gran Canaria last Sunday, as per SkySports.
It was the third consecutive unbeaten performance by manager Ernesto Valverde's boys as they secured themselves of the top six spot and a place in the Europa League next season.
Meanwhile, Sevilla suffered a huge 1-4 loss to lowly club Granada CF at their home ground of Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium also last Sunday, via ESPN.
Granada's Spanish midfielder Isaac Cuenca scored a double to lead the visitors' four-goal haul in the contest. Cuenca opened the scoring during stoppage time of the first half after the two teams went for a goalless first 45 minutes.
Head coach Unai Emery's men were able to equalize the game at the 73rd minute with a left-footed shot from center box by Sevilla B standout Diego Gonzalez Polanco off an assist by teammate Sergio Escudero.
The goal proved to be the lone production of Los Rojiblancos in the match as El Grana netted the next three goals, courtesy of defender Jean-Sylvain Babin, forward Youssef El-Arabi, and Cuenca's second goal at the 79th, 86th, and 88th minutes respectively, as the Sevillistas suffered their second straight defeat and fifth winless performance in six outings.
The predicted result is a 2-0 win for Athletic Bilbao.
Athletic Bilbao starting lineup (4-2-3-1 formation): Iraizoz; de Marcos, Boveda, Elustondo, Balenziaga; San Jose, Benat; Williams, Garcia, Muniain; Aduriz
Sevilla starting lineup (4-2-3-1 formation): Pimparel; Figueiras, Pareja, Kolodziejczak, Escudero; Iborra, Pepe; Sanchez, Munoz, Konoplyanka; Llorente
