ELCHE - ATHLETIC

After an international break that felt endless, Athletic return to LaLiga action with a crucial visit to the Martinez Valero. The momentum picked up before the pause, with that much-needed win over Mallorca, has to be the foundation now.

This is the kind of away match where good teams show maturity: facing a newly promoted side on a high, but also one missing key players, and still adapting to the pace and demands of the first division. If Athletic are serious about staying in the European race, this is the type of match they need to win.

Elche have surprised many so far. They arrive in this match seventh, level on points with Athletic, and had been unbeaten until the last round, when they fell 3-1 at Alavés. But that result, as much as it broke their run, also exposed some vulnerabilities. The red card to Affengruber, who will now miss this clash, was a huge turning point. And without him, plus other absentees like Diangana, Neto, Mendoza and doubts around Ford, coach Sarabia will have to patch together a line-up that can resist the intensity Athletic are likely to bring.

Sarabia has clearly built a disciplined and brave Elche side, but they're still heavily reliant on a few individuals. Rafa Mir is scoring, Andre Silva is contributing well, and Alvaro Núñez is key to their build-up. But the depth is limited, and it shows especially when they try to chase matches or when forced into rotation. The Martinez Valero has become a stronghold, but this is a real test of their character and resources.

Athletic, meanwhile, seem to be slowly climbing out of that dip in form. The win over Mallorca was essential. It brought relief and some clarity. Players are coming back at the right time: Iñaki and Nico Williams are expected to start, Sancet is back in the mix, and the international break has helped Paredes recover. Valverde may also rotate wisely with the midweek clash against Qarabag in mind, but the focus here will be three points. After all, Champions League qualification remains within touching distance.

The key for Athletic will be managing the rhythm of the game. They have better midfield structure, more experience, and more punch in transition. If they press high and keep Elche on the back foot, their wide men can hurt. The absence of Affengruber opens up even more opportunity to test Elche’s back line, which isn’t the fastest. And while Elche may try to slow things down, Athletic should look to impose tempo from the start, forcing errors and making their quality count.

Set pieces may also play a role, and Athletic have looked sharper in those situations recently. With Galarreta and Jauregui commanding the middle, and the Williams brothers flying wide, there's enough here to break down an Elche side that, for all its fight, is stretched thin.

This isn’t a must-win, but it’s the kind of game where dropped points would feel like a step back. Athletic have the tools, the form returning, and the motivation. Elche are a proud, organised team, but with the absences they carry, they may struggle to maintain the level we saw earlier in the season. If Valverde's men are serious about this campaign, this is where they prove it.

LIVERPOOL - MANCHESTER UNITED

Anfield doesn’t do calm, and when Liverpool host Manchester United, it rarely does logic either. But in this case, I’m backing the obvious: a Liverpool win. Because even if they’ve slipped recently, the structure, the firepower, and the record in this fixture all lean one way.

Let’s start there. United haven’t won a league game at Anfield in nearly a decade. In fact, their last eight trips have ended without a single win. And right now, nothing about their away form suggests they can snap that streak. They haven’t won on the road in the league since March, and while they’ve had some decent moments under Amarim, they always fall short when it really matters.

That said, this isn’t a perfect Liverpool either. They come into the game on the back of three straight defeats — uncharted territory for Arne Slot, who had made such a strong start to life at Anfield. The issue is clear: Liverpool have looked vulnerable at the back, especially without Alisson, and the new fullbacks haven’t fully clicked yet.

But the break may have come at the right time. Salah scored twice for Egypt, and you get the feeling this is exactly the kind of fixture where he steps up again. He’s got 22 goal contributions in 17 appearances against United. That’s no coincidence.

The midfield hasn’t quite settled, and Slot seems unsure of his best eleven, but the system is still producing chances. Florian Wirtz is yet to score, but he’s creating more than anyone else in the league without a goal or assist. That will change soon, and it wouldn’t surprise me if this is the game where the dam breaks. Liverpool are still vertical, dangerous in wide areas, and have more ways to hurt you than United do.

What worries me about United is that, for all the hype around improvement and new signings, the fundamentals are still shaky. They’re fragile when defending transitions, they allow far too many clean looks at goal, and their biggest moments this season have come against sides they’re expected to beat.

This is different. This is a test at the highest emotional and tactical level. And I don’t think they’re ready.

Of course, United have weapons. Cesko is a handful. Bumo on the break is dangerous. And if they sit deep and wait for moments, they can be awkward. But Anfield is unforgiving, especially when you’re not used to weathering storms like this. If Slot’s side plays with intensity and control, the cracks will show.

There could be drama. I wouldn’t be shocked if United score first. But over 90 minutes, I expect Liverpool to respond. They’ve lost momentum, yes, but they haven’t lost belief.

At home, in this fixture, that matters. The crowd lifts them, the tempo rises, and United often fold. So while it might get tense, I’m backing the Reds to find their way again.

埃尔切-运动的

在漫长的国际比赛日之后，竞技将带着一场关键的客场挑战瓦莱罗球场重返西甲赛场。在比赛暂停之前，球队的势头得到了加强，赢得了对马洛卡的比赛，这是现在的基础。

这是一场客场比赛，优秀的球队会表现出成熟：面对一支刚刚升班马的球队，但他们缺少关键球员，还在适应甲级联赛的节奏和要求。如果竞技真的想留在欧洲赛场，这场比赛是他们需要赢的。

到目前为止，埃尔切已经让很多人感到惊讶。他们在本场比赛中排名第七，与竞技积分持平，并且在上一轮之前保持不败，当时他们以3-1的比分输给了阿拉文森斯。但这一结果，尽管破坏了他们的运行，也暴露了一些漏洞。阿芬格鲁伯的红牌将缺席这场比赛，这是一个巨大的转折点。没有了他，再加上迪安加纳、内托、门多萨和福特等其他缺阵的球员，主教练萨拉比亚将不得不拼凑出一个能够抵御竞技可能带来的激烈竞争的阵容。

萨拉比亚显然建立了一支纪律严明和勇敢的埃尔切队，但他们仍然严重依赖于一些个人。拉法·米尔在进球，安德烈·席尔瓦贡献出色，阿尔瓦罗Núñez是他们的关键。但深度是有限的，尤其是当他们试图追逐比赛或被迫轮换时。马丁内斯瓦莱罗已经成为一个据点，但这是对他们的性格和资源的真正考验。

与此同时，竞技似乎正在慢慢走出低谷。对马洛卡的胜利至关重要。它带来了解脱和一些清晰。球员们在正确的时间回归：Iñaki和尼科·威廉姆斯有望首发，桑切特也回归了，国际比赛日也帮助了帕雷德斯的恢复。巴尔韦德也会在周中与卡拉巴格的比赛中明智地轮换，但这里的重点是三分。毕竟，欧冠资格近在咫尺。

竞技的关键在于控制比赛的节奏。他们有更好的中场结构，更多的经验，在过渡中更有冲击力。如果他们压得高，让埃尔切处于后脚，他们的边路队员就会受伤。阿芬格鲁伯的缺席给埃尔切的后防线带来了更多考验的机会，这条后防线并不是最快的。虽然埃尔切可能会试图放慢节奏，但竞技应该从一开始就把节奏强加给对手，强迫失误，让他们的质量发挥作用。

定位球也可能发挥作用，竞技最近在这种情况下看起来更加敏锐。加拉雷塔和乔雷吉在中路指挥，威廉姆斯兄弟在边路跑动，这足以击垮埃尔切队，尽管他们一直在战斗，但却捉襟充肘。

这不是一场必胜的比赛，但在这种比赛中，丢分就像是退步。运动员有工具，状态恢复，和动力。埃尔切是一支令人骄傲的、有组织的球队，但由于缺阵，他们可能很难保持赛季初的水平。如果巴尔韦德的人对这场战役是认真的，这就是他们证明的地方。

利物浦-曼联

安菲尔德从来不冷静，当利物浦主场迎战曼联时，也很少有逻辑。但在这种情况下，我支持显而易见的：利物浦获胜。因为即使他们最近有所下滑，他们的结构，火力，以及在这场比赛中的战绩都倾向于一方。

我们从这里开始。近十年来，曼联在安菲尔德没有赢过一场联赛。事实上，他们最近的8次客场之旅都没有赢过一场。而现在，他们的客场状态没有任何迹象表明他们可以打破这一连胜。自从三月份以来，他们还没有在客场取得过胜利，虽然他们在阿马里姆的带领下有过一些不错的时刻，但在真正重要的时候，他们总是表现不佳。

也就是说，这也不是一个完美的利物浦。他们是在三连败的背景下开始比赛的，这对阿恩·斯洛特来说是一个未知的领域，他在安菲尔德有着如此强劲的开局。问题很明显：利物浦在后防线上看起来很脆弱，特别是没有阿利森，新的边后卫还没有完全发挥作用。

但这一突破可能来得正是时候。萨拉赫为埃及梅开二度，你会感觉到这正是他再次崛起的那种比赛。他在对阵曼联的比赛中出场17次，贡献22球。这不是巧合。

中场还没有完全稳定下来，斯洛特似乎不确定他最好的11人，但这个体系仍然在创造机会。弗洛里安·维尔茨还没有得分，但他创造的机会比任何人都多

让我担心曼联的是，尽管人们大肆宣传曼联的进步和新援，但曼联的基本面仍然不稳固。他们在防守转变时很脆弱，他们给球门太多干净的机会，他们本赛季最重要的时刻都是在对阵他们预计会击败的球队时。

这是不同的。这是一场在情感和战术层面上的最高考验。我觉得他们还没准备好。

当然，曼联有武器。Cesko是一个棘手的问题。休息时的粪便是危险的。如果他们坐着等一会儿，他们可能会很尴尬。但是安菲尔德是无情的，尤其是当你不习惯这样的暴风雨的时候。如果斯格尔那边控制得太紧，裂痕就会显露出来。

可能会有戏剧性的场面。如果曼联先进球，我不会感到惊讶。但是在90分钟的比赛中，我希望利物浦能够做出回应。是的，他们失去了动力，但他们没有失去信念。

在主场，在这场比赛中，这很重要。观众鼓舞了他们，节奏加快了，而曼联经常被击败。所以，尽管局势可能会变得紧张，我还是支持红军再次找到自己的路。