Diego Simeone will once again have João Félix, Thomas Lemar and Luis Suárez at his disposal when he takes his team from Atlético Madrid to San Mamés to face Athletic Club de Bilbao on Sunday night.

Atlético (22-7-3, 73 points) will have the chance to extend their lead at the top of La Liga following the 0-0 draw between Real Madrid and Real Betis on Saturday night. Barcelona travel to Villarreal on Sunday afternoon and can tentatively move within two points of the leaders, who are starting a three-game road swing with monumental title implications.

“I am part of one of the four teams fighting for the title,” Diego Simeone said on Saturday. “It would be unfair not to say that we are favorites, so I won’t say anything.”

Simeone also didn’t show his hand when asked about his team’s selection for Sunday, against a booming Athletic Club (9-11-11, 38 points) who might want this season ends. Los leones lost two Copa del Rey finals in two weeks earlier this month, and will be without captain Iker Muniain on Sunday, among others. Marcelino’s men have drawn in their last five league games and lost the opposite game to Atlético last month.

Photo by Jose Breton / Pics Action / NurPhoto via Getty Images

Cholo has everyone available except José Giménez, suspended. It will be crucial to see if the coach persists with the 4-4-2 / ​​4-3-3 hybrid that has worked so well against Eibar and Huesca – or if he returns to the 3-5-2 that the ‘Atlético has used a lot of this season now that Lemar (critical to this roster change) has recovered from tendonitis.

“I have a clear idea of ​​how to approach the game,” Simeone said. “I just have to write the names of tomorrow (on the team sheet) when I speak with the boys to see who will start.”

The victory in Madrid last month was Simeone’s 16th against Athletic – his team Atlético haven’t beaten another opponent with such frequency since taking the helm in 2011. However, Atleti n ‘has won only once in San Mamés since 2016, and Athletic has not lost a championship. home game in over three months.

The squad

Dated April 25, 2021

Location San Mamés, Bilbao, Biscay, Basque Country

Kick-off time 9:00 p.m. CEST, 8:00 p.m. GMT, 3:00 p.m. EST, 12:00 p.m. PST

TV / streaming available Movistar LaLiga 1 (Spain), LaLiga TV (United Kingdom), beIN Sports (United States), ESPN (Brazil), QQ Sports Live (China), Blue Sport (Switzerland),