Preview: Athletic Bilbao vs. Mallorca - prediction, team news, lineups

Athletic Bilbao will be looking to bounce back from Tuesday's defeat at Barcelona when they resume their 2019-20 La Liga season at home to Mallorca this weekend.

The Basque club are currently 10th in Spain's top flight, while relegation-threatened Mallorca occupy 18th position, three points from the safety of 17th.

Match preview

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Athletic claimed eighth in La Liga last season and could have their eyes on a similar finish this time around as the 2019-20 campaign heads for its latter stages.

The Basque club have picked up 42 points from their 31 matches, which has left them in 10th spot in the table, five points behind Real Sociedad in seventh. Villarreal are only six points above Athletic in sixth, meanwhile, showing that there could still be a potential Europa League finish on the cards.

Gaizka Garitano 's side have won one, lost one and drawn two of their four matches since returning to action in the middle of June, and they will enter this match off the back of a 1-0 defeat away to Barcelona.

The home side will be determined to return to winning ways on Saturday afternoon, and they have been victorious in three of their last four La Liga games with Mallorca, including a 2-1 success when the pair last locked horns at San Mames in May 2013.

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Mallorca, who secured a return to La Liga by advancing through the Segunda Division playoffs last season, are currently 18th in the table as they battle to remain in Spain's top flight.

Vicente Moreno 's side have only picked up 26 points from their 31 matches, but they are just three points from the safety of 17th position and can therefore still escape their disappointing spot in the table.

No team has lost more games in Spain's top flight this season (19) than Mallorca, though, which will be slightly concerning to their supporters at this stage of the campaign.

Los Bermellones will enter this match off the back of a 2-0 loss at Real Madrid on Wednesday night, while they have also lost to Barcelona and Villarreal since returning to action in the middle of June, in addition to claiming a point at home to Leganes on June 19.

Athletic La Liga form: WWDDWL

Mallorca La Liga form: LWLLDL

Team News

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Athletic are still expected to be without the services of Benat and Ibai Gomez through injury, but Yuri Berchiche is available, having served a one-game suspension against Barcelona.

Iker Muniain, Dani Garcia, Raul Garcia and Inigo Martinez were all left out of the starting XI at Camp Nou but should all return for this match as Garitano prepares to shuffle his pack again.

Raul Garcia's expected return could see Inaki Williams shifted into a wide position, with Muniain coming into the number 10 spot and Inigo Cordoba again featuring on the right.

As for Mallorca, Fabricio Agosto, Leonardo Koutris and Ki Sung-yeung remain on the sidelines, but Moreno's side did not pick up any fresh concerns at the Bernabeu.

Salva Sevilla and Juan Hernandez should both return to the XI, while Luka Romero, who became La Liga's youngest ever player when he featured against Madrid at the age of 15 years and 219 days, will be hoping to be involved off the bench once again.

Athletic possible starting lineup:

Simon; Capa, Nunez, Martinez, Yuri; D Garcia, Lopez; Cordoba, Muniain, Williams; R Garcia

Mallorca possible starting lineup:

Reina; Pozo, Valjent, Sedlar, Gamez; Hernandez, Sevilla, Mohammed, Rodriguez, Kubo; Budimir

We say: Athletic Bilbao 2-0 Mallorca

Athletic will be keen to return to winning ways following their defeat at Camp Nou, and it is difficult to look past the home side on Saturday taking everything into account. Mallorca have the worst away record in La Liga this term, losing 12 of their 15 matches, and we are predicting another defeat for Moreno's side here.