Athletic face a lengthy break before a demanding stretch

Athletic are enduring an overly long break from competition and will have to move almost straight from inactivity into a much more demanding period. The schedule has taken an unusual turn: in a season marked by a packed fixture list, the team now faces the opposite problem, with too many days away from meaningful competition.

Since drawing with Alavés on September 19, Athletic have struggled to build continuity. Terzic’s side will arrive at Mestalla with very little football in their legs from recent weeks. They will not, however, arrive tired; the challenge will instead be to rediscover their rhythm quickly. Terzic will need to help his players recover those feelings as soon as possible.

Unless the schedule changes, Athletic will return to action against Valencia at Mestalla on Saturday, October 17. The postponed match against Levante, scheduled for October 21, will follow. The Copa and further league fixtures will come soon afterwards. After this lengthy interruption, the challenge will be to regain momentum just as the matches begin to come thick and fast.