Athletic Bilbao’s struggle for form puts European dreams at risk
Athletic Bilbao concluded the first half of the season with a hard-fought equaliser from Gorka Guruzeta at El Sadar. The striker admitted afterwards that the team's performances and morale had fallen short of expectations. Now, as the second half begins, the club faces a tough challenge to secure European football next season.
Athletic's attack has struggled this term, with key players like Nico Williams, Álex Berenguer, and Iñaki Williams seeing their goal tallies drop sharply. Together with Gorka Guruzeta and Oihan Sancet, they have managed just nine goals in the first half of the campaign—less than half of last season’s 21. Guruzeta pointed to the team's main problem: scoring too little while conceding too much, with only 17 goals scored and 25 let in.
Under Ernesto Valverde, now in his third spell with the club, Athletic has a history of strong second-half performances. In seven of his nine seasons at the helm, the team collected 30 or more points after the winter break. His best-ever return came in 2014–15, when Athletic secured 36 points in the second half. That record offers hope as the side now targets at least 33 points from their remaining 19 matches to push for a Europa League or Conference League spot. Before league action resumes, Athletic will travel to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Super Cup. The tournament presents an early test of their form and resolve in 2024. Guruzeta has called for both individual and collective improvement if the team is to turn their season around.
Athletic's path to European qualification is clear: they must replicate past second-half success under Valverde. With the Super Cup looming and a deficit in goals, the squad will need to sharpen their attack and tighten their defence. The next five months will determine whether they can meet the 33-point target and secure a continental spot.
