Two clubs chasing qualification for the UEFA Champions League will do battle today in a match between Athletic Bilbao vs. Napoli. The playoff scheduled for 2:45 p.m. ET will be held at San Mames Stadium in Bilbao and can be live streamed here free. Additional TV coverage can be found on ESPN Deportes.
Napoli manager Rafael Benitez had this to offer ahead of today's European qualifier (via UEFA): "Athletic are a team that enjoy having the ball and using it. They like to attack and especially as they are in front of their fans they'll probably try to score from the very beginning. Athletic should show what they can do to their supporters. We will try to do the same. Last year we had loads of possession and we scored loads of goals. Both teams are similar. I think we'll share possession."
"I know Athletic have been out of the Champions League for 16 years," he added. "They have little to lose because they feel they have succeeded already, but they also have a lot to lose as they are very close to qualifying. That can create nervousness and anxiety."
Tactical Preview
Player to Watch: One of the Bilbao players responsible for the club's aforementioned attacking prowess is Iker Muniain. The 21-year-old made 35 league appearances last season, contributing seven goals, three assists and an average of 2.8 successful take-ons.
Athletic Bilbao's Projected Lineup (4-2-3-1): Iraizoz; Marcos, Laporte, Jose, Balenziaga; Iturraspe, Rico; Beñat, Muniain, Susaeta; Aduriz
Napoli's Projected Lineup (4-2-3-1): Cabral; Ghoulam, Albiol, Koulibaly, Maggio; Jorginho, Gargano; Callejón, Hamsik, Mertens; Higuaín
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (lineups and statistics via WhoScored).
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