{"id":303863,"date":"2024-04-12T11:19:24","date_gmt":"2024-04-12T09:19:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/dar-la-campanada-en-la-catedral\/"},"modified":"2024-04-13T13:39:42","modified_gmt":"2024-04-13T11:39:42","slug":"aiming-to-upset-the-odds-at-san-mames","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/en\/aiming-to-upset-the-odds-at-san-mames\/","title":{"rendered":"Aiming to upset the odds at San Mam\u00e9s"},"content":{"protected":false,"blocks":[{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"Villarreal will be looking to surprise recent Copa del Rey winners Athletic Club (Sunday, 6.30pm CEST)"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Villarreal will be looking to spring a surprise this Sunday, at 6:30pm CEST, when they visit San Mam\u00e9s to face the Copa del Rey champions, Athletic Club, who lifted the title last weekend and which the city of Bilbao bas been celebrating in recent days."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Marcelino\u2019s side approach the clash, corresponding to matchday 31 of the 2023\/24 LALIGA EA SPORTS season, as an opportunity to stay alive in the fight for the European places. With eight games remaining, the Yellows are tenth and six points off seventh place, which woild give them access to the UEFA Europa Conference League next season. A win on such a high-profile stage would further tighten a battle in which Valencia, Betis and Osasuna are all involved, as well as the Yellows."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Despite the defeat last time out against Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid (1-2), in which Marcelino\u2019s side played some great football and the game was extremely even, the Submarine will travel to Bilbao with the clear objective of fighting for the three points, thanks to the last two months of the season, in which Villarreal went nine games unbeaten and achieved valuable victories in prestigious stadiums such as the Lluis Companys (3-5), the Reale Arena (1-3) and the Benito Villamar\u00edn (2-3)."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Athletic Club, for their part, come into the game fresh from being crowned Copa del Rey champions after beating RCD Mallorca (1-1) last Saturday in a penalty shoot-out, so they will be looking to celebrate their triumph \u2013 after having done so away from San Mam\u00e9s \u2013 at home too, with a win in front of a home crowd euphoric about their team\u2019s recent success. Apart from the cup triumph, it should not be overlooked that the Basque side is one of the strongest teams in LALIGA. They are in the fight for the Champions League, sitting in fifth place with 56 points, just two points behind Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid in fourth."},{"type":"video","kind":"iframe","url":"https:\/\/widgets.besoccerapps.com\/scripts\/widgets?type=clasification&competition=1&season=2024&flag=escudo&style=villarreal","poster":""},{"type":"paragraph","text":"San Mam\u00e9s is also one of the most difficult stadiums to visit in Spanish football. The Basques have only lost once at home this season. And that was their first game of the season against Real Madrid."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"It will be a tough task for the Submarine, whose last win in Bilbao dates back to the 2018\/19 season. In that campaign, the Yellows beat the Basque side 0-3, with Pablo Fornals putting in a memorable individual performance. In their 26 visits to San Mam\u00e9s, the Yellows have managed a total of six wins."},{"type":"video","kind":"iframe","url":"https:\/\/widgets.besoccerapps.com\/scripts\/widgets?type=streak&teams=347,2716&flag=escudo&season=2024&match=30544&style=villarreal","poster":""},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Officiating team"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Guillermo Cuadra Fern\u00e1ndez will be the principal referee and will be assisted by Francisco Hern\u00e1ndez Maeso on VAR."}],"structured":{"summary":{"text":"Villarreal will be looking to surprise recent Copa del Rey winners Athletic Club (Sunday, 6.30pm CEST) Villarreal will be looking to spring a surprise this Sunday, at 6:30pm CEST, when they visit San Mam\u00e9s to face the Copa del Rey champions, Athletic Club, who lifted the title last weekend and which the city of Bilbao bas been celebrating in recent days. Marcelino\u2019s side approach the clash, corresponding to matchday 31 of the 2023\/24 LALIGA EA SPORTS season, as an opportunity to stay alive in the fight for the European places. With eight games remaining, the Yellows are tenth and six points off seventh place, which woild give them access to the UEFA Europa Conference League next season. A win on such a high-profile stage would further tighten a battle in which Valencia, Betis and Osasuna are all involved, as well as the Yellows. Despite the defeat last time out against Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid (1-2), in which Marcelino\u2019s side played some great football and the game was extremely even, the Submarine will travel to Bilbao with the clear objective of fighting for the three points, thanks to the last two months of the season, in which Villarreal went nine games unbeaten and achieved valuable victories in prestigious stadiums such as the Lluis Companys (3-5), the Reale Arena (1-3) and the Benito Villamar\u00edn (2-3). Athletic Club, for their part, come into the game fresh from being crowned Copa del Rey champions after beating RCD Mallorca (1-1) last Saturday in a penalty shoot-out, so they will be looking to celebrate their triumph \u2013 after having done so away from San Mam\u00e9s \u2013 at home too, with a win in front of a home crowd euphoric about their team\u2019s recent success. Apart from the cup triumph, it should not be overlooked that the Basque side is one of the strongest teams in LALIGA. They are in the fight for the Champions League, sitting in fifth place with 56 points, just two points behind Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid in fourth. San Mam\u00e9s is also one of the most difficult stadiums to visit in Spanish football. The Basques have only lost once at home this season. And that was their first game of the season against Real Madrid. It will be a tough task for the Submarine, whose last win in Bilbao dates back to the 2018\/19 season. In that campaign, the Yellows beat the Basque side 0-3, with Pablo Fornals putting in a memorable individual performance. In their 26 visits to San Mam\u00e9s, the Yellows have managed a total of six wins. Officiating team Guillermo Cuadra Fern\u00e1ndez will be the principal referee and will be assisted by Francisco Hern\u00e1ndez Maeso on VAR.","headings":[{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"Villarreal will be looking to surprise recent Copa del Rey winners Athletic Club (Sunday, 6.30pm CEST)"}],"buttons":[],"images":[],"counts":{"blocks":11,"headings":1,"texts":8,"buttons":0,"images":0}},"sections":[{"id":"section-1","title":"Villarreal will be looking to surprise recent Copa del Rey winners Athletic Club (Sunday, 6.30pm CEST)","text":"Villarreal will be looking to surprise recent Copa del Rey winners Athletic Club (Sunday, 6.30pm CEST) Villarreal will be looking to spring a surprise this Sunday, at 6:30pm CEST, when they visit San Mam\u00e9s to face the Copa del Rey champions, Athletic Club, who lifted the title last weekend and which the city of Bilbao bas been celebrating in recent days. Marcelino\u2019s side approach the clash, corresponding to matchday 31 of the 2023\/24 LALIGA EA SPORTS season, as an opportunity to stay alive in the fight for the European places. With eight games remaining, the Yellows are tenth and six points off seventh place, which woild give them access to the UEFA Europa Conference League next season. A win on such a high-profile stage would further tighten a battle in which Valencia, Betis and Osasuna are all involved, as well as the Yellows. Despite the defeat last time out against Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid (1-2), in which Marcelino\u2019s side played some great football and the game was extremely even, the Submarine will travel to Bilbao with the clear objective of fighting for the three points, thanks to the last two months of the season, in which Villarreal went nine games unbeaten and achieved valuable victories in prestigious stadiums such as the Lluis Companys (3-5), the Reale Arena (1-3) and the Benito Villamar\u00edn (2-3). Athletic Club, for their part, come into the game fresh from being crowned Copa del Rey champions after beating RCD Mallorca (1-1) last Saturday in a penalty shoot-out, so they will be looking to celebrate their triumph \u2013 after having done so away from San Mam\u00e9s \u2013 at home too, with a win in front of a home crowd euphoric about their team\u2019s recent success. Apart from the cup triumph, it should not be overlooked that the Basque side is one of the strongest teams in LALIGA. They are in the fight for the Champions League, sitting in fifth place with 56 points, just two points behind Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid in fourth. San Mam\u00e9s is also one of the most difficult stadiums to visit in Spanish football. The Basques have only lost once at home this season. And that was their first game of the season against Real Madrid. It will be a tough task for the Submarine, whose last win in Bilbao dates back to the 2018\/19 season. In that campaign, the Yellows beat the Basque side 0-3, with Pablo Fornals putting in a memorable individual performance. In their 26 visits to San Mam\u00e9s, the Yellows have managed a total of six wins. Officiating team Guillermo Cuadra Fern\u00e1ndez will be the principal referee and will be assisted by Francisco Hern\u00e1ndez Maeso on VAR.","headings":[{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"Villarreal will be looking to surprise recent Copa del Rey winners Athletic Club (Sunday, 6.30pm CEST)"}],"texts":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Villarreal will be looking to spring a surprise this Sunday, at 6:30pm CEST, when they visit San Mam\u00e9s to face the Copa del Rey champions, Athletic Club, who lifted the title last weekend and which the city of Bilbao bas been celebrating in recent days."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Marcelino\u2019s side approach the clash, corresponding to matchday 31 of the 2023\/24 LALIGA EA SPORTS season, as an opportunity to stay alive in the fight for the European places. With eight games remaining, the Yellows are tenth and six points off seventh place, which woild give them access to the UEFA Europa Conference League next season. A win on such a high-profile stage would further tighten a battle in which Valencia, Betis and Osasuna are all involved, as well as the Yellows."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Despite the defeat last time out against Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid (1-2), in which Marcelino\u2019s side played some great football and the game was extremely even, the Submarine will travel to Bilbao with the clear objective of fighting for the three points, thanks to the last two months of the season, in which Villarreal went nine games unbeaten and achieved valuable victories in prestigious stadiums such as the Lluis Companys (3-5), the Reale Arena (1-3) and the Benito Villamar\u00edn (2-3)."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Athletic Club, for their part, come into the game fresh from being crowned Copa del Rey champions after beating RCD Mallorca (1-1) last Saturday in a penalty shoot-out, so they will be looking to celebrate their triumph \u2013 after having done so away from San Mam\u00e9s \u2013 at home too, with a win in front of a home crowd euphoric about their team\u2019s recent success. Apart from the cup triumph, it should not be overlooked that the Basque side is one of the strongest teams in LALIGA. They are in the fight for the Champions League, sitting in fifth place with 56 points, just two points behind Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid in fourth."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"San Mam\u00e9s is also one of the most difficult stadiums to visit in Spanish football. The Basques have only lost once at home this season. And that was their first game of the season against Real Madrid."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"It will be a tough task for the Submarine, whose last win in Bilbao dates back to the 2018\/19 season. In that campaign, the Yellows beat the Basque side 0-3, with Pablo Fornals putting in a memorable individual performance. In their 26 visits to San Mam\u00e9s, the Yellows have managed a total of six wins."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Officiating team"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Guillermo Cuadra Fern\u00e1ndez will be the principal referee and will be assisted by Francisco Hern\u00e1ndez Maeso on VAR."}],"buttons":[],"images":[],"widgets":[],"blocks":[{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"Villarreal will be looking to surprise recent Copa del Rey winners Athletic Club (Sunday, 6.30pm CEST)"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Villarreal will be looking to spring a surprise this Sunday, at 6:30pm CEST, when they visit San Mam\u00e9s to face the Copa del Rey champions, Athletic Club, who lifted the title last weekend and which the city of Bilbao bas been celebrating in recent days."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Marcelino\u2019s side approach the clash, corresponding to matchday 31 of the 2023\/24 LALIGA EA SPORTS season, as an opportunity to stay alive in the fight for the European places. With eight games remaining, the Yellows are tenth and six points off seventh place, which woild give them access to the UEFA Europa Conference League next season. A win on such a high-profile stage would further tighten a battle in which Valencia, Betis and Osasuna are all involved, as well as the Yellows."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Despite the defeat last time out against Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid (1-2), in which Marcelino\u2019s side played some great football and the game was extremely even, the Submarine will travel to Bilbao with the clear objective of fighting for the three points, thanks to the last two months of the season, in which Villarreal went nine games unbeaten and achieved valuable victories in prestigious stadiums such as the Lluis Companys (3-5), the Reale Arena (1-3) and the Benito Villamar\u00edn (2-3)."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Athletic Club, for their part, come into the game fresh from being crowned Copa del Rey champions after beating RCD Mallorca (1-1) last Saturday in a penalty shoot-out, so they will be looking to celebrate their triumph \u2013 after having done so away from San Mam\u00e9s \u2013 at home too, with a win in front of a home crowd euphoric about their team\u2019s recent success. Apart from the cup triumph, it should not be overlooked that the Basque side is one of the strongest teams in LALIGA. They are in the fight for the Champions League, sitting in fifth place with 56 points, just two points behind Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid in fourth."},{"type":"video","kind":"iframe","url":"https:\/\/widgets.besoccerapps.com\/scripts\/widgets?type=clasification&competition=1&season=2024&flag=escudo&style=villarreal","poster":""},{"type":"paragraph","text":"San Mam\u00e9s is also one of the most difficult stadiums to visit in Spanish football. The Basques have only lost once at home this season. And that was their first game of the season against Real Madrid."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"It will be a tough task for the Submarine, whose last win in Bilbao dates back to the 2018\/19 season. In that campaign, the Yellows beat the Basque side 0-3, with Pablo Fornals putting in a memorable individual performance. In their 26 visits to San Mam\u00e9s, the Yellows have managed a total of six wins."},{"type":"video","kind":"iframe","url":"https:\/\/widgets.besoccerapps.com\/scripts\/widgets?type=streak&teams=347,2716&flag=escudo&season=2024&match=30544&style=villarreal","poster":""},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Officiating team"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Guillermo Cuadra Fern\u00e1ndez will be the principal referee and will be assisted by Francisco Hern\u00e1ndez Maeso on VAR."}]}],"hero":{"id":"section-1","title":"Villarreal will be looking to surprise recent Copa del Rey winners Athletic Club (Sunday, 6.30pm CEST)","text":"Villarreal will be looking to surprise recent Copa del Rey winners Athletic Club (Sunday, 6.30pm CEST) Villarreal will be looking to spring a surprise this Sunday, at 6:30pm CEST, when they visit San Mam\u00e9s to face the Copa del Rey champions, Athletic Club, who lifted the title last weekend and which the city of Bilbao bas been celebrating in recent days. Marcelino\u2019s side approach the clash, corresponding to matchday 31 of the 2023\/24 LALIGA EA SPORTS season, as an opportunity to stay alive in the fight for the European places. With eight games remaining, the Yellows are tenth and six points off seventh place, which woild give them access to the UEFA Europa Conference League next season. A win on such a high-profile stage would further tighten a battle in which Valencia, Betis and Osasuna are all involved, as well as the Yellows. Despite the defeat last time out against Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid (1-2), in which Marcelino\u2019s side played some great football and the game was extremely even, the Submarine will travel to Bilbao with the clear objective of fighting for the three points, thanks to the last two months of the season, in which Villarreal went nine games unbeaten and achieved valuable victories in prestigious stadiums such as the Lluis Companys (3-5), the Reale Arena (1-3) and the Benito Villamar\u00edn (2-3). Athletic Club, for their part, come into the game fresh from being crowned Copa del Rey champions after beating RCD Mallorca (1-1) last Saturday in a penalty shoot-out, so they will be looking to celebrate their triumph \u2013 after having done so away from San Mam\u00e9s \u2013 at home too, with a win in front of a home crowd euphoric about their team\u2019s recent success. Apart from the cup triumph, it should not be overlooked that the Basque side is one of the strongest teams in LALIGA. They are in the fight for the Champions League, sitting in fifth place with 56 points, just two points behind Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid in fourth. San Mam\u00e9s is also one of the most difficult stadiums to visit in Spanish football. The Basques have only lost once at home this season. And that was their first game of the season against Real Madrid. It will be a tough task for the Submarine, whose last win in Bilbao dates back to the 2018\/19 season. In that campaign, the Yellows beat the Basque side 0-3, with Pablo Fornals putting in a memorable individual performance. In their 26 visits to San Mam\u00e9s, the Yellows have managed a total of six wins. Officiating team Guillermo Cuadra Fern\u00e1ndez will be the principal referee and will be assisted by Francisco Hern\u00e1ndez Maeso on VAR.","headings":[{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"Villarreal will be looking to surprise recent Copa del Rey winners Athletic Club (Sunday, 6.30pm CEST)"}],"texts":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Villarreal will be looking to spring a surprise this Sunday, at 6:30pm CEST, when they visit San Mam\u00e9s to face the Copa del Rey champions, Athletic Club, who lifted the title last weekend and which the city of Bilbao bas been celebrating in recent days."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Marcelino\u2019s side approach the clash, corresponding to matchday 31 of the 2023\/24 LALIGA EA SPORTS season, as an opportunity to stay alive in the fight for the European places. With eight games remaining, the Yellows are tenth and six points off seventh place, which woild give them access to the UEFA Europa Conference League next season. A win on such a high-profile stage would further tighten a battle in which Valencia, Betis and Osasuna are all involved, as well as the Yellows."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Despite the defeat last time out against Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid (1-2), in which Marcelino\u2019s side played some great football and the game was extremely even, the Submarine will travel to Bilbao with the clear objective of fighting for the three points, thanks to the last two months of the season, in which Villarreal went nine games unbeaten and achieved valuable victories in prestigious stadiums such as the Lluis Companys (3-5), the Reale Arena (1-3) and the Benito Villamar\u00edn (2-3)."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Athletic Club, for their part, come into the game fresh from being crowned Copa del Rey champions after beating RCD Mallorca (1-1) last Saturday in a penalty shoot-out, so they will be looking to celebrate their triumph \u2013 after having done so away from San Mam\u00e9s \u2013 at home too, with a win in front of a home crowd euphoric about their team\u2019s recent success. Apart from the cup triumph, it should not be overlooked that the Basque side is one of the strongest teams in LALIGA. They are in the fight for the Champions League, sitting in fifth place with 56 points, just two points behind Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid in fourth."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"San Mam\u00e9s is also one of the most difficult stadiums to visit in Spanish football. The Basques have only lost once at home this season. And that was their first game of the season against Real Madrid."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"It will be a tough task for the Submarine, whose last win in Bilbao dates back to the 2018\/19 season. In that campaign, the Yellows beat the Basque side 0-3, with Pablo Fornals putting in a memorable individual performance. In their 26 visits to San Mam\u00e9s, the Yellows have managed a total of six wins."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Officiating team"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Guillermo Cuadra Fern\u00e1ndez will be the principal referee and will be assisted by Francisco Hern\u00e1ndez Maeso on VAR."}],"buttons":[],"images":[],"widgets":[],"blocks":[{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"Villarreal will be looking to surprise recent Copa del Rey winners Athletic Club (Sunday, 6.30pm CEST)"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Villarreal will be looking to spring a surprise this Sunday, at 6:30pm CEST, when they visit San Mam\u00e9s to face the Copa del Rey champions, Athletic Club, who lifted the title last weekend and which the city of Bilbao bas been celebrating in recent days."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Marcelino\u2019s side approach the clash, corresponding to matchday 31 of the 2023\/24 LALIGA EA SPORTS season, as an opportunity to stay alive in the fight for the European places. With eight games remaining, the Yellows are tenth and six points off seventh place, which woild give them access to the UEFA Europa Conference League next season. A win on such a high-profile stage would further tighten a battle in which Valencia, Betis and Osasuna are all involved, as well as the Yellows."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Despite the defeat last time out against Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid (1-2), in which Marcelino\u2019s side played some great football and the game was extremely even, the Submarine will travel to Bilbao with the clear objective of fighting for the three points, thanks to the last two months of the season, in which Villarreal went nine games unbeaten and achieved valuable victories in prestigious stadiums such as the Lluis Companys (3-5), the Reale Arena (1-3) and the Benito Villamar\u00edn (2-3)."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Athletic Club, for their part, come into the game fresh from being crowned Copa del Rey champions after beating RCD Mallorca (1-1) last Saturday in a penalty shoot-out, so they will be looking to celebrate their triumph \u2013 after having done so away from San Mam\u00e9s \u2013 at home too, with a win in front of a home crowd euphoric about their team\u2019s recent success. Apart from the cup triumph, it should not be overlooked that the Basque side is one of the strongest teams in LALIGA. They are in the fight for the Champions League, sitting in fifth place with 56 points, just two points behind Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid in fourth."},{"type":"video","kind":"iframe","url":"https:\/\/widgets.besoccerapps.com\/scripts\/widgets?type=clasification&competition=1&season=2024&flag=escudo&style=villarreal","poster":""},{"type":"paragraph","text":"San Mam\u00e9s is also one of the most difficult stadiums to visit in Spanish football. The Basques have only lost once at home this season. And that was their first game of the season against Real Madrid."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"It will be a tough task for the Submarine, whose last win in Bilbao dates back to the 2018\/19 season. In that campaign, the Yellows beat the Basque side 0-3, with Pablo Fornals putting in a memorable individual performance. In their 26 visits to San Mam\u00e9s, the Yellows have managed a total of six wins."},{"type":"video","kind":"iframe","url":"https:\/\/widgets.besoccerapps.com\/scripts\/widgets?type=streak&teams=347,2716&flag=escudo&season=2024&match=30544&style=villarreal","poster":""},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Officiating team"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Guillermo Cuadra Fern\u00e1ndez will be the principal referee and will be assisted by Francisco Hern\u00e1ndez Maeso on VAR."}]}},"sections":[{"id":"section-1","title":"Villarreal will be looking to surprise recent Copa del Rey winners Athletic Club (Sunday, 6.30pm CEST)","text":"Villarreal will be looking to surprise recent Copa del Rey winners Athletic Club (Sunday, 6.30pm CEST) Villarreal will be looking to spring a surprise this Sunday, at 6:30pm CEST, when they visit San Mam\u00e9s to face the Copa del Rey champions, Athletic Club, who lifted the title last weekend and which the city of Bilbao bas been celebrating in recent days. Marcelino\u2019s side approach the clash, corresponding to matchday 31 of the 2023\/24 LALIGA EA SPORTS season, as an opportunity to stay alive in the fight for the European places. With eight games remaining, the Yellows are tenth and six points off seventh place, which woild give them access to the UEFA Europa Conference League next season. A win on such a high-profile stage would further tighten a battle in which Valencia, Betis and Osasuna are all involved, as well as the Yellows. Despite the defeat last time out against Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid (1-2), in which Marcelino\u2019s side played some great football and the game was extremely even, the Submarine will travel to Bilbao with the clear objective of fighting for the three points, thanks to the last two months of the season, in which Villarreal went nine games unbeaten and achieved valuable victories in prestigious stadiums such as the Lluis Companys (3-5), the Reale Arena (1-3) and the Benito Villamar\u00edn (2-3). Athletic Club, for their part, come into the game fresh from being crowned Copa del Rey champions after beating RCD Mallorca (1-1) last Saturday in a penalty shoot-out, so they will be looking to celebrate their triumph \u2013 after having done so away from San Mam\u00e9s \u2013 at home too, with a win in front of a home crowd euphoric about their team\u2019s recent success. Apart from the cup triumph, it should not be overlooked that the Basque side is one of the strongest teams in LALIGA. They are in the fight for the Champions League, sitting in fifth place with 56 points, just two points behind Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid in fourth. San Mam\u00e9s is also one of the most difficult stadiums to visit in Spanish football. The Basques have only lost once at home this season. And that was their first game of the season against Real Madrid. It will be a tough task for the Submarine, whose last win in Bilbao dates back to the 2018\/19 season. In that campaign, the Yellows beat the Basque side 0-3, with Pablo Fornals putting in a memorable individual performance. In their 26 visits to San Mam\u00e9s, the Yellows have managed a total of six wins. Officiating team Guillermo Cuadra Fern\u00e1ndez will be the principal referee and will be assisted by Francisco Hern\u00e1ndez Maeso on VAR.","url":"","background_image":"","images":[],"videos":[{"type":"video","kind":"iframe","url":"https:\/\/widgets.besoccerapps.com\/scripts\/widgets?type=clasification&competition=1&season=2024&flag=escudo&style=villarreal","poster":""},{"type":"video","kind":"iframe","url":"https:\/\/widgets.besoccerapps.com\/scripts\/widgets?type=streak&teams=347,2716&flag=escudo&season=2024&match=30544&style=villarreal","poster":""}],"links":[]}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"El Villarreal buscar\u00e1 sorprender al Athletic Club, reciente campe\u00f3n de la Copa del Rey (domingo, 18.30h)","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":303732,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13494],"tags":[13478,9201,9723,14767,13463,13496,13821,14093,14433,9199,13482,13487],"acf":null,"lang":"en","translations":{"es":303714,"val":303737,"en":303863},"essential_grid":{"has_grid":false},"formatted_date":"April 12, 2024","modified_date":"April 13, 2024","permalink":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/en\/aiming-to-upset-the-odds-at-san-mames\/","reading_time":3,"featured_media_data":{"id":303732,"title":"ALEXANDER SORLOTH GOL","caption":"ALEXANDER SORLOTH GOL","alt_text":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Previa-Athletic-Club.jpg","sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Previa-Athletic-Club-1920x1080.jpg","width":1920,"height":1080},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Previa-Athletic-Club-1909x1080.jpg","width":1909,"height":1080},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Previa-Athletic-Club-768x434.jpg","width":768,"height":434},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Previa-Athletic-Club-1909x1080.jpg","width":788,"height":446},"1536x1536":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Previa-Athletic-Club-1536x869.jpg","width":1536,"height":869},"2048x2048":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Previa-Athletic-Club.jpg","width":1920,"height":1086},"tp-image-grid":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Previa-Athletic-Club-700x700.jpg","width":700,"height":700},"size-bunyad-medium":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Previa-Athletic-Club-1909x1080.jpg","width":1909,"height":1080},"sportspress-crop-medium":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Previa-Athletic-Club-300x300.jpg","width":300,"height":300},"sportspress-fit-medium":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Previa-Athletic-Club-300x170.jpg","width":300,"height":170},"sportspress-fit-icon":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Previa-Athletic-Club-128x72.jpg","width":128,"height":72},"sportspress-fit-mini":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Previa-Athletic-Club-32x18.jpg","width":32,"height":18},"bunyad-small":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Previa-Athletic-Club-150x85.jpg","width":150,"height":85},"bunyad-medium":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Previa-Athletic-Club-450x255.jpg","width":450,"height":255},"bunyad-full":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Previa-Athletic-Club-1200x679.jpg","width":1200,"height":679},"bunyad-viewport":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Previa-Athletic-Club.jpg","width":1920,"height":1086},"bunyad-768":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Previa-Athletic-Club-768x434.jpg","width":768,"height":434},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Previa-Athletic-Club.jpg","width":1920,"height":1086}}},"author_data":{"id":"25","name":"Javier Ayuso","first_name":"Javier","last_name":"Ayuso","description":"","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fcf8894be45988fcce5bbff0efe1790d2a7f4ba57e2c7c898f5068154e696495?s=96&d=mm&r=g","acf":null},"taxonomies_data":{"category":[{"id":13494,"name":"First Team","slug":"first-team","acf":null}],"post_tag":[{"id":13478,"name":"Football","slug":"football-eng","acf":null},{"id":9201,"name":"Football","slug":"football-d34-en","acf":null},{"id":9723,"name":"Jornada 31","slug":"jornada-31-en","acf":null},{"id":14767,"name":"LaLiga EA Sports","slug":"laliga-ea-sports-en","acf":null},{"id":13463,"name":"Sin categorizar","slug":"sin-categorizar","acf":null},{"id":13496,"name":"Sin categorizar","slug":"sin-categorizar-en-14","acf":null},{"id":13821,"name":"Sin categorizar","slug":"sin-categorizar-en-3","acf":null},{"id":14093,"name":"Sin categorizar","slug":"sin-categorizar-en-47","acf":null},{"id":14433,"name":"Sin categorizar","slug":"sin-categorizar-en-67","acf":null},{"id":9199,"name":"Soccer","slug":"soccer-d105-en","acf":null},{"id":13482,"name":"Submarine","slug":"submarine-en","acf":null},{"id":13487,"name":"Yellow Submarine","slug":"yellow-submarine-en","acf":null}],"translation_priority":[{"id":734,"name":"Optional","slug":"optional-en","acf":null}]},"seo_full":{"native":{"title":"Aiming to upset the odds at San Mam\u00e9s - Web Oficial del Villarreal CF","description":"El Villarreal buscar\u00e1 sorprender al Athletic Club, reciente campe\u00f3n de la Copa del Rey (domingo, 18.30h)","canonical":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/en\/aiming-to-upset-the-odds-at-san-mames\/"}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303863","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=303863"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303863\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/303732"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=303863"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=303863"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=303863"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}