Athletic Bilbao meet Espanyol in the Copa del Rey semi-final, second leg on Wednesday in Barcelona. The first leg finished 1-1 in the Basque Country, and the winner will likely play Barcelona in May’s final at a venue still to be determined.
Barca beat Villarreal 3-1 in the first leg and also play on Wednesday, but the key game is at Cornella, where Espanyol fans have caught cup fever.
Though the game kicks off at the unsociable hour of 10pm, it will see an attendance far higher than their season average of 18,000 in their smart, 40,500-seat stadium, and the players have produced a motivational video for the fans called A Great Night.
Espanyol are in form and ninth in the Primera Liga table, on a tiny budget. Athletic are also in form, and are 10th. After losing Ander Herrera last summer, the Basques had a poor start to the season and were in the relegation zone after seven matches.
Along with Barca and Real Madrid, they are the only team in Spain never to have been relegated from the top flight.
After a dreadful December and January, Athletic have gradually improved. The cup run has raised spirits, and the 1-0 weekend derby win against Eibar pushed them above Real Sociedad to be the highest-placed Basque team in La Liga.
But that remains a disappointment, after last season’s fourth-place finish and Uefa Champions League football this term.
A third-place finish in their group saw them drop to the Europa League, where they were eliminated at home last week by Torino in front of 50,000 fans.
With average home league crowds of 39,602 this season, they are certainly the best-supported Basque team, but their new San Mames stadium has not proved to be the fortress they had hoped.
Ernesto Valverde’s side have won just four of their 12 home league games, losing five. They have picked up as many points on the road as at home.
It should not be like that. As well as being a glorious venue, the old San Mames could be an intimidating venue for visiting teams.
The new one is luxurious in comparison, but it has either softened up the home team or made them nervous and incapable of living up to the increased expectations.
Espanyol are one of the few teams they have manage to beat at home. They now need to beat them away this evening or secure a score draw to progress.
It is perhaps to their advantage that the game is away, though they had better change their mindset quickly. Real Madrid visit on Saturday in the league.
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