San Mamés prepares for a festival of frustration

Welcome to the Cathedral, where the only thing being worshipped lately is the art of the scoreless defeat. Athletic Bilbao welcomes Real Betis in what is being billed as a "clash of giants," though on current evidence, it is more like a clash of teams who have collectively forgotten which end of the pitch the goal sits on.

The Lions are currently languishing in 12th place with 35 points, and calling them "Lions" right now feels like an insult to actual apex predators. Ernesto Valverde’s men haven’t seen a goal since the invention of the wheel, coming off back-to-back losses against Barcelona and Girona. They didn't just lose; they looked like they were participating in a social experiment to see how many times a team can pass sideways before the fans fall asleep. If Athletic wants to climb back into the top half, they might consider actually shooting at the rectangular thing with the net. Their Basque-only policy is noble, but perhaps they should try scouting someone who can actually finish a one-on-one.

Across the pitch, we have Real Betis. Manuel Pellegrini’s side is technically 5th with 44 points, which sounds impressive until you realize they have 11 DRAWS this season. Eleven! They are the league’s ultimate fence-sitters. Betis would walk into a restaurant, look at the menu for three hours, and then decide to just have water. Their recent form—draw, loss, draw—suggests a team that is terrified of actually winning a game and solidifying their European spot. "The Engineer" Pellegrini might have a degree, but he can’t seem to fix a leaky offense that managed a grand total of one goal in their last two outings.

EXPECT plenty of running, a fair amount of shouting, and probably a few yellow cards for "excessive boredom." San Mamés will be loud, but the scoreboard operator is likely to have the easiest night of his life.

Prediction: Athletic Club 1-1 Real Betis