📊 Athletic on the brink of history, one win away from breaking the record

Today, the Athletic Club has a date with history at San Mamés. The team led by Ernesto Valverde faces Deportivo Alavés in a match that could mark a before and after at the start of the season. Indeed, if they secure a victory, the red-and-whites would achieve the best league start in their history, with four victories in the first four rounds. A feat they have never before achieved in the national championship.

This great start to the League is not a coincidence. Athletic has shown a very high level in the previous three matches, resolving games of various kinds and showing great defensive solidity and effective attack. This performance has generated great optimism among the fans, who see in this team the possibility of aspiring to important objectives in the competition.

The last time Athletic achieved three consecutive victories in the first three rounds of the League was in the 2009/10 season, with Joaquín Caparrós on the bench. However, on that occasion, they failed to extend the streak in the fourth round after falling to CD Tenerife, 1-0, on their visit to the Canary Islands. This fact, although positive, demonstrates the difficulty of the challenge the lions face today.

This afternoon's match will have an extra incentive: the return of Aymeric Laporte. The central defender, who joined the red-and-white discipline after his stint at Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, could make his second debut at the stadium that saw him grow as a footballer. His return not only strengthens the team's defense, but also adds a note of excitement to an already special day.

📸 ANDER GILLENEA - AFP or licensors