The Basque Country has long been hailed for its passion for football, and there are few rivalries in Europe that encapsulate that spirit better than then one between Real Sociedad and Athletic Club. The BASQUE DERBY always holds a special place in the hearts of LALIGA fans, with the stakes for these clashes extending far beyond regional bragging rights.
Over the last few years, both teams have found themselves vying for a coveted spot in European competitions, making their matchups a defining moment in each LALIGA EA SPORTS campaign. Athletic Club and Real Sociedad have been permanent suitors of the European spots, with the two clubs pulling off some memorable moments in continental competitions.
Major achievements in Europe
Athletic Club’s greatest achievement in European football was reaching the 2011/12 UEFA Europa League final under Marcelo Bielsa. Known for their high-energy and pressing style, Bielsa’s side went past some of Europe’s top teams en route to the final.
Their campaign included a stunning victory over Manchester United in the Round of 16, where they beat the Red Devils 3-2 at Old Trafford and qualified 5-3 on aggregate. They followed this with thrilling wins against Schalke 04 in the quarterfinals (6-4 on aggregate) and Sporting CP in the semi-finals (4-3 on aggregate). In an all-Spanish final, Athletic Club faced Atlético de Madrid, who grabbed a 3-0 victory to win the trophy.
As well as that European journey, the club had previously come close to European success in the 1976/77 UEFA Cup, losing the two-legged final to Juventus on away goals (2–2 on aggregate), even knocking out FC Barcelona and AC Milan en route.
Real Sociedad’s most significant run in Europe came in the 1982/83 European Cup, currently the UEFA Champions League, when they reached the semi-finals. The Txuri-urdin defeated Víkingur Reykjavík before overcoming Celtic 3–2 on aggregate in the second round. Yet, their journey ended in the semi-finals, where they were narrowly eliminated by Hamburg, losing 3–2 on aggregate.
La Real have been a European mainstay under Imanol Alguacil
Imanol Alguacil’s promotion to become Real Sociedad first-team head coach in 2018 rejuvenated the club and led La Real to new heights both domestically, where they won a Copa del Rey, and in Europe. Under his leadership, the Txuri-urdin have clinched European qualification five times in a row, finishing above their Basque rivals in the table each season between 2019/20 and 2022/23. The coach has announced that he is leaving at the end of this season, and he’ll hope to leave with La Real qualified for Europe for a sixth year in a row.
Last year, a top-four finish in 2022/23 saw Real Sociedad clinch UEFA Champions League participation, a much-anticipated comeback to the major European competition. La Real topped their group for the first time in their history, as they remained unbeaten in the group stage, securing three wins and three draws in six duels.
Ernesto Valverde brings Athletic Club back where they belong
The 2023/24 season would mark the first time in five years where Los Leones finished above Real Sociedad in the LALIGA EA SPORTS standings. The return of Ernesto Valverde, the coach who led the team to their last UEFA Champions League qualification by clinching fourth spot in the league table in 2013/14, inspired Athletic Club to their best league finish since 2015/16.
After finishing eighth and narrowly missing out on European spots in 2022/23, Valverde oversaw a successful campaign in which his team celebrated their first major trophy in 40 years by securing the Copa del Rey and they finished fifth in the table – eight points above sixth-placed Real Sociedad. They’re once again set to finish ahead of their rivals, and want to do so by defeating La Real for a second time this season on Sunday.
The battle goes on
These two clubs will always be battling for position, domestically and in Europe. This season, it’s Athletic Club who have been doing better on both fronts.
In the newly formatted Europa League, Athletic Club finished second in the initial phase this season, several positions ahead of 13-placed Real Sociedad. Although La Real made it through a playoff against Midtjylland, they then fell in the Last 16 against Manchester United. The team from Bilbao, meanwhile, have made it all the way to the semi-finals, where they will now take on Manchester United over two legs, all the while knowing that this year’s Europa League final is being held in San Mamés.
Domestically, Athletic Club have also had a more successful season. Currently fourth, and with five Champions League spots up for grabs in LALIGA EA SPORTS this term, Los Leones look set to return to the top UEFA competition for the first time in over a decade. Real Sociedad, meanwhile, enter this matchday 10th, but just two points behind the final European spot.
Given all this, a victory this matchday means something more than the three points, as the winners could deal their rivals a serious blow to their morale in this constant battle for a European spot.
SOURCE: LALIGA CONTENTHUB
