MATCHDAY: Athletic looking to get closer to European places
Athletic Bilbao players celebrate their victory over Real Madrid at the end of the Spanish Copa del Rey quarter final soccer match between Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid at San Mames stadium in Bilbao, Spain, Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/ Alvaro Barrientos)
PA
A preview of what’s happening in European football on Monday:
SPAIN
Athletic Bilbao are trying to close in on European qualification places when they host Espanyol in the Spanish league. A win will leave Athletic one point behind Basque rivals Real Sociedad, who sit sixth and last in the European League. Athletic knocked out Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals last week. He will host Valencia on Thursday in the first leg of the semi-finals. Espanyol, who sit 13th in the league, are winless in their last four games in all competitions, including the last three in the league.
ITALY
Bottom of the Serie A table, Salernitana hosts Spezia, who despite a minus 18 goal difference are comfortably above the drop zone thanks in large part to an unlikely three-game winning streak in the league.
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