San Mamés got one last night of pressure on Sunday when Athletic Club met Celta in jornada 37 of LaLiga EA Sports at 19.00 hours, with both teams still carrying something real into the final weeks of the season. Athletic were playing their last home match of the year, while Celta arrived needing at least a draw to knock Athletic out of the European race.
The game carried the weight of two very different seasons. Athletic were trying to celebrate permanence after a difficult campaign, and Celta were trying to hold on to sixth place with Getafe CF closing in. Before kickoff, Athletic had seven players on a caution list — Jauregizar, Yuri Berchiche, Galarreta, Oihan Sancet, Berenguer, Paredes and Guruzeta — while Celta had four: Iago Aspas, Ferran Jutglà, Óscar Mingueza and Yoel Lago.
Ernesto Valverde named Unai Simón in goal behind Gorosabel, Yeray Álvarez and Laporte, with Yuri Berchiche back in the side after missing the squad for the match in Catalonia. Jauregizar, Ruiz de Galarreta, Iñaki Williams, Unia Gómez and Álex Berenguer supported Gorka Guruzeta. Valverde could not count on Nico Williams or Oihan Sancet because of muscle injuries, and Daniel Vivian was left out after being substituted at halftime against Espanyol because of a strong ankle sprain. Unai Egiluz, meanwhile, had already suffered a second anterior cruciate ligament tear in his right knee this season.
Celta answered with Andrei Radu; Javi Rodríguez, Yoel Lago and Marcos Alonso; Javi Rueda, Ilaix Moriba, Fer López and Sergio Carreira; Ferran Jutglà, Borja Iglesias and Williot Swedberg. Claudio Giráldez had recovered Matías Vecino and Ilaix Mo before the trip, but the margin for error was gone after a defeat to Levante UD complicated what had once looked like a nearly secured qualification. Celta needed at least two points to guarantee the Conference League and six points if they did not want to depend on Getafe CF to reach the Europa League again.
Iñaki Williams asked for forgiveness from the supporters before the final home date at San Mamés, then said that “aún se puede creer en Europa” and that “la afición es libre de expresar su opinión” on Sunday. His words fit the atmosphere around Athletic better than any slogan could: a club already safe, still looking for dignity and belief, and a crowd that could make its feelings known after a season that has asked plenty of everyone involved.
The result mattered because this was not just another spring match in Bilbao. It was the last chance for Athletic to close its home season with purpose, and for Celta to keep control of its European path without looking over its shoulder. With Ernesto Valverde expected to leave in the summer and Edin Terzic set to replace him, San Mamés was also watching the end of one era while another was already waiting in the wings.
