The upcoming clash between Athletic Bilbao and Elche CF at the iconic San Mamés stadium on February 20, 2026, represents a fascinating tactical crossroads in the current La Liga campaign. Athletic Bilbao, currently sitting 10th in the table, is looking to leverage their formidable home advantage at “The Cathedral” to snap a inconsistent run of form that has seen them go without a clean sheet in 12 consecutive matches. Meanwhile, 15th-placed Elche CF arrives in Bilbao as a resilient underdog, desperate to pull away from the relegation zone after a challenging seven-match winless streak. With both sides having played out a cagey 0-0 draw earlier this season at the Martínez Valero, this return fixture promises to be a high-stakes battle of wills, pitting the explosive Basque wing play of the Williams brothers against Eder Sarabia’s disciplined, counter-attacking Mediterranean side.
The legendary San Mamés stadium plays host to this Round 25 encounter. With Athletic Bilbao hovering around the top half of the table and Elche battling to stay clear of the relegation zone, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
- Date: Friday, February 20, 2026
- Kick-off Time: 20:00 UTC (Local time)
- Venue: Estadio de San Mamés, Bilbao
Live Scores & Match Updates
As of today, February 16, 2026, the match has not yet kicked off. Once the whistle blows on Friday, fans can expect high-intensity football.
- Current Status: Pre-match
- Last Meeting Score: 0-0 (October 19, 2025)
Predicted Lineups & Team News
Both managers are dealing with significant absences heading into this Friday night clash.
Athletic Bilbao (Predicted 4-2-3-1)
Ernesto Valverde’s side is missing key defensive and creative pieces. Yeray Álvarez is out via suspension, while Yuri Berchiche and Alex Berenguer are sidelined with injuries.
- GK: Unai Simón
- DEF: Gorosabel, Vivian, Paredes, Lekue
- MID: Vesga, Ruiz de Galarreta
- ATT: Nico Williams, Sancet, Robert Navarro
- FW: Gorka Guruzeta
Elche CF (Predicted 4-3-3)
Eder Sarabia’s men have been resilient but will miss Josan and Héctor Fort due to injuries. The strike partnership of André Silva and Álvaro Rodríguez will be their primary threat.
- GK: Matías Dituro
- DEF: Adrià Pedrosa, Pedro Bigas, Víctor Chust, Buba Sangaré
- MID: Federico Redondo, Marc Aguado, Gonzalo Villar
- FW: André Silva, Álvaro Rodríguez, Tete Morente
Head-to-Head (H2H) Records
Historically, these matches have been tightly contested. While Athletic Bilbao holds the edge at home, Elche has proven they can frustrate the Basque giants.
| Total Matches | Athletic Bilbao Wins | Elche Wins | Draws |
| 12 Recent | 5 | 3 | 4 |
Recent Form Trends:
- Athletic Bilbao: Strong at home, but haven’t kept a clean sheet in 12 consecutive matches.
- Elche: Struggling to find a win in their last 7 attempts, but have shown scoring potential through Álvaro Rodríguez.
Current Squads (2025–26 Season)
Below are the primary squads for both clubs as they head into the second half of the season.
Athletic Bilbao: Full Squad List
Managed by Ernesto Valverde, the Basque side maintains its strict policy of fielding players from the Greater Basque Country. The squad has been bolstered by the high-profile return of Aymeric Laporte and the emergence of youth talents like Maroan Sannadi.
| No. | Position | Player | Nationality |
| 1 | GK | Unai Simón | Spain |
| 27 | GK | Álex Padilla | Mexico |
| 26 | GK | Mikel Santos | Spain |
| 2 | DF | Andoni Gorosabel | Spain |
| 3 | DF | Dani Vivian | Spain |
| 4 | DF | Aitor Paredes | Spain |
| 5 | DF | Yeray Álvarez (3rd Capt) | Spain |
| 12 | DF | Jesús Areso | Spain |
| 14 | DF | Aymeric Laporte | Spain |
| 15 | DF | Iñigo Lekue (VC) | Spain |
| 17 | DF | Yuri Berchiche (4th Capt) | Spain |
| 19 | DF | Adama Boiro | Spain |
| 29 | DF | Unai Egiluz | Spain |
| 34 | DF | Jon de Luis | Spain |
| 6 | MF | Mikel Vesga | Spain |
| 8 | MF | Oihan Sancet | Spain |
| 16 | MF | Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta | Spain |
| 18 | MF | Mikel Jauregizar | Spain |
| 20 | MF | Unai Gómez | Spain |
| 24 | MF | Beñat Prados | Spain |
| 30 | MF | Alejandro Rego | Spain |
| 7 | FW | Álex Berenguer | Spain |
| 9 | FW | Iñaki Williams (Captain) | Ghana |
| 10 | FW | Nico Williams | Spain |
| 11 | FW | Gorka Guruzeta | Spain |
| 21 | FW | Maroan Sannadi | Morocco |
| 22 | FW | Nico Serrano | Spain |
| 23 | FW | Robert Navarro | Spain |
| 25 | FW | Urko Izeta | Spain |
Elche CF: Full Squad List
Under coach Eder Sarabia, Elche has completely overhauled their squad with a mix of veteran leadership and young loanees from elite clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid.
| No. | Position | Player | Nationality |
| 1 | GK | Matías Dituro (3rd Capt) | Argentina |
| 13 | GK | Iñaki Peña (on loan) | Spain |
| 45 | GK | Alejandro Iturbe | Spain |
| 3 | DF | Adrià Pedrosa | Spain |
| 6 | DF | Pedro Bigas (Captain) | Spain |
| 18 | DF | John Donald | Spain |
| 21 | DF | Léo Pétrot | France |
| 22 | DF | David Affengruber | Austria |
| 23 | DF | Víctor Chust | Spain |
| 39 | DF | Héctor Fort (on loan) | Spain |
| 42 | DF | Buba Sangaré (on loan) | Spain |
| 5 | MF | Federico Redondo | Argentina |
| 7 | MF | Yago Santiago | Spain |
| 8 | MF | Marc Aguado | Spain |
| 11 | MF | Germán Valera | Spain |
| 12 | MF | Gonzalo Villar | Spain |
| 14 | MF | Aleix Febas (4th Capt) | Spain |
| 16 | MF | Martim Neto | Portugal |
| 17 | MF | Josan (Vice-Captain) | Spain |
| 19 | MF | Grady Diangana | DR Congo |
| 32 | MF | Adam Boayar | Morocco |
| 9 | FW | André Silva | Portugal |
| 10 | FW | Rafa Mir (on loan) | Spain |
| 15 | FW | Tete Morente | Spain |
| 20 | FW | Álvaro Rodríguez | Uruguay |
| 24 | FW | Lucas Cepeda | Chile |
Betting Odds & Predictions
The bookmakers favor the home side, but the draw is a tempting prospect given their previous 0-0 encounter this season.
- Match Result (Moneyline):
- Athletic Bilbao: -170 (Favorite)
- Draw: +280
- Elche: +450
- Over/Under Goals: 2.5 Goals (Under is favored at -128)
- Both Teams to Score (BTTS): Yes (-110) / No (+105)
Expert Tip: Given Athletic Bilbao’s defensive struggles (no clean sheets recently) and Elche’s desperate need for points, the BTTS – Yes market offers interesting value.
