A LaLiga contender? The sudden rise of Valverde's Athletic Bilbao

Saturday's meeting between Athletic Club and Atlético de Madrid was always going to be a special occasion for the Basque club. With 2023 having marked the institution's 125th anniversary and with a statue of the legendary José Ángel Iribar unveiled before kick-off, there was a real buzz around San Mamés for the visit of the capital city side.

What made the game extra special for the fans in Bilbao was the commanding performance of Ernesto Valverde's team and the 2-0 victory. That result means Athletic Club have now gone seven games undefeated in LALIGA EA SPORTS, their longest unbeaten run since 2019. The win also makes it eight home matches in a row in which Athletic Club have picked up points. After losing to Real Madrid on the opening weekend, Los Leones have bounced back and made San Mamés a fortress by winning six and drawing two of their subsequent eight games in Bilbao.

The loyal Athletic Club supporters are enjoying watching their team play. Over this run of eight home games without defeat, the team scored an average of three goals each game. That has helped propel Athletic Club to third place in the overall LALIGA EA SPORTS scoring charts, something which many would have considered unthinkable just a few months ago.

Guruzeta is the Aduriz replacement Athletic Club needed

It is never easy to replace a legend and Athletic Club discovered this following the retirement of Aritz Aduriz in 2020. The striker had been the leader of the team's attack for so long, scoring 172 goals in 407 appearances over three separate stints. With the club's Basque-only policy limiting options in the transfer market, it took a while for the team to find a reliable centre-forward who could convert the chances being created.

In Gorka