Athletic Club vs. Sevilla [FIRST 15 MINUTES LIVE] | LALIGA Highlights | ESPN FC
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Welcome back to this La Liga match and we're counting down to Athletic Club Bilbao season opener against [music] Sevilla. But as I said later on Real Madrid will be in action in just a few hours. [music] This is a headline in as it says Nueva Era. That's a new era and that's because Jose Mourinho is now [music] at the helm of Los Blancos. Well, Martin Ainstein got to pick Jose Mourinho's brain in the pre-match presser. Let's have a listen to what he had to say. >> Yeah, buena pregunta. Pregunta difícil. Mira. Es que el Mourinho de hoy es lo que está en condiciones de aconsejar el Mourinho de 2013. El de 2013 mhm no está en condiciones. Es un poco como como eres tú que aconsejas a tu padre o tu padre que te aconseja que te aconseja a ti, ¿no? La única cosa que yo que yo digo es que tienes que estar tienes que estar siempre muy tranquilo. Mhm. Y para mí es mucho más fácil >> All right. Well, because we needed some more vibes on this show. We had to bring in the boys, Dan Thomas and Alejandro Moreno. Alejandro Moreno, who is now Barcelona Ali, because that's exactly where they are. They'll be taking in this match, Espanyol against Real Madrid. But, Dan, Jose Mourinho there talking about what's changed from the last time he was at Madrid to now. What's changed since the last time you were at Real Madrid to now? Ex- I guess we can exclude the fact that you've completely lost any sort of Spanish that you learned. >> Okay, thank you very much. >> And what an intro. Thanks, Ali. [laughter] I I much appreciate it. I suppose like many conversations with Alexis, let's ask you, Ali, should you ever get back with your ex? Cuz that's exactly what is happening here, isn't it? With Real Madrid, 13 years on. Jose Mourinho 2.0, obviously. Much calmer. But, does he still have it? >> Well, the answer to your first question is no. Okay. >> Uh as it pertains to Jose Mourinho, I this version of Mourinho is a little weird. This this philosophical version of Mourinho, this calmer version is not going to last. >> I know. This mellow version of Mourinho is not going to last. And I don't think if you're a Real Madrid fan, you want it to last. You want this guy on edge. You had calmness under Ancelotti. You have analysis with Xabi Alonso, and those things were not working. And so, you need something different. You need intensity. You need fire. You need what Jose Mourinho historically has brought to his teams. The thing is that he hasn't brought that to his teams for a while. Is he even going to be able to do it at Real Madrid? That's a really big question. And what's your answer to that question? >> I think short term, yes. Yeah. What I expect to see from Real Madrid today, energy, fight, running, moving, covering spaces for each other. They're going forward together. They're defending together. You're going to see that for the first few weeks. And then they're going to settle into the season. And then there may be a run of bad results. And then that's where we're going to see whether indeed these players are on board and as to whether Jose Mourinho is going to be that it factor that they require and that they need. There issues in this team that still haven't been resolved. And those issues, one of them is who plays the defensive midfielder position. It was a big question in the absence of Toni Kroos. That hasn't been addressed. For all the good signings that they have made and they have made some good ones. I think Marc Cucurella would be great for this team. I don't think that they've addressed some of the big issues. And so therefore, the question still remain. >> There's a lot of questions about the starting 11 just today. According to the newspaper, a certain number of those new players will be starting their first game for Real Madrid against Espanyol. As you mentioned, Cucurella, big signing, great World Cup he had. He'll be coming in left back. You've got Dumfries at right back, Konate in the center. So it's a completely new back four. And then Bernardo Silva is the man to partner Valverde. So many different talking points and we haven't even got to the fact that Real Madrid's most expensive signing ever will be playing on the right-hand side in Diomande. Let's start with Diomande, shall we? >> Okay. >> Is that a player that Real Madrid needed and are they going to use him in his best position? >> I'm going to answer the second question that you had there. >> Yep. >> His best position is actually coming from the left-hand side. >> Okay, good. >> Um and that seems to be covered by Vini Jr. >> Right. >> And so therefore, you put him on the right-hand side. He can play on the right-hand side. He is a two-footed player that can take players on the inside, on the outside. He has that kind of skill. But he has that kind of skill that we need to see at this level with Real Madrid. Still a young player, still developing, still we do not know what the full ceiling of Yann Diomande is. If indeed he reaches that potential, then yes, he's going to become the answer to the question, who plays on the right-hand side for Real Madrid? Who was supposed to be Marc Tony. Did that work out? Uh no, it didn't. Uh Brahim Diaz, he does a job there but he's not quite a right-sided player. So, maybe Diomande is the answer. What happens when you put Jude Bellingham in this team? And what how do the numbers start to fit in? You can only play with 11 players and uh cutting-edge analysis, I don't believe that if you put Bellingham in, then what happens with Arda Guler? Then do you shift Bernardo Silva off the field? There are so many things that Jose Mourinho has to work through with this team that can give this team some balance, some consistency, some continuity, a lot of things that they missed last season. >> Let's talk about Bernardo Silva. Is he the answer to the midfield problems? >> Uh no. He is not. He is on on on the backside of his career. We know this already and while he has a lot of experience and while he can still get on the ball, he is not the guy that guy has the passing range from that central position. He can connect passes but there's another thing about Bernardo Silva that I think if you follow his career, you would agree that even at his best, he's a guy that tactically is not the most disciplined. He'll go and chase the ball wherever it is but if you are a central midfielder, you have to be a presence defensively and is he going to be a presence defensively [music] if he's chasing the ball out in wide areas? No. Again, he is kind of a solution if you put somebody alongside him, that's why Valverde would play alongside him but he's not the solution that they're looking for. >> All these conversations are secondary really to the big one. >> Yeah. >> Can Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe play together, play well and win titles? >> So, we think Carlo Ancelotti is a pretty good manager, right? >> Not bad. >> Yeah. Xabi Alonso has done some good things in his career, yeah? Um neither one of them were able to figure this out. So, I don't think it's so much about Mourinho, Alonso, Ancelotti. It is about the players. It's about Vini Junior and Kylian Mbappe figuring out how is it that they're going to be effective together. They haven't figured that out yet. Maybe the fact that Vini Junior got a new contract, maybe that helps out and they're they're going to be able to work together in the final third. >> So, are Real Madrid going to win the league with these two and Jose Mourinho in charge? >> Well, according to Stuart Robson, yes. >> Yes, but that's Robson. >> Yeah, I know. >> He He struggles in the sun. >> Yes, he does. He has struggled in the sun quite a bit. Um I I think there's a lot to overcome and there are too many questions. And while Barcelona has a major question that they don't have a center forward and that is a major question, I do think that the presence of Rodri at Barcelona and the absence of Rodri in Real Madrid makes a difference. I believe that Barcelona hang on. It's going to be closer than last season, but I think Barcelona win it again. >> Short term, tonight shouldn't be a problem, should it? >> Well, like I said, today and tonight it's like, "Hey, look at Real Madrid. They are magical. Look at this team fly." They're going to be flying tonight. They're going to be flying next week. It's what happens when they get into the grind of the season. That's when I'm really curious to see what version of Real Madrid we're going to see. >> Yeah, don't forget it's Barcelona in action tomorrow, but our focus today is very much Real Madrid's opener against Espanyol. Back to Alexis in the studio. >> Thanks so much, Dan, there. And of course, Dan with a brilliant uh question there because, you know, you always say, "Never go back to an ex." Casey, and when it comes to Jose Mourinho, we've long talked about he has been the special one. Is he still that person? Can he still be that Jose Mourinho for Real Madrid? >> I think the big question will be a will he be allowed to be that for Real Madrid? I think we saw that Xabi Alonso was not allowed to be able to >> But Jose's got to be a presence and profile, right? >> He does, but it's still this has been a situation for years where it's been a power struggle between the players. Go They go straight to the president when when something doesn't go their way and the president backs the players. Now, Mourinho was brought in the first time to change a culture. Yeah. There was a very kind of Spanish mafia culture at Real Madrid and it caused a lot of problems. Well, he was able to change that. Now, granted, he had Cristiano Ronaldo. Yeah, I think he was able to do that. But only for so long. Now, this is a little different because this is a Real Madrid side that didn't have one Spanish player in the Spanish national team that just won the World Cup. Cucurella sneaks in, but he was a Chelsea player when he was when he was chosen to play for the national team. So, yeah, it it's going to be a big task and and and Ali highlighted the holes that have yet to be filled. The personalities, we don't know yet. Yes, there will be that early on um early in the season, new manager, I'll do what he asks. >> Yeah. >> But it's not necessarily something that I want to do week in and week out. The question mark for the biggest question mark for me is he can he get Mbappé and Vini Jr. to be able to be what the team needs, not what they need. >> Mhm. >> Now, they need oh, I'm going to stand around and do nothing and try to score a goal. >> Mhm. >> Well, does the team need that? Because the team needs you to start the defense from the top, to track back when it needs to track back, to do what the team needs to win matches. Yes, the responsibility to score goals, 100%, but there's other aspects of the of the game that have been missing over the last couple years. >> Yeah. Well, like we said, a new era is getting ready to begin at Real Madrid under Jose Mourinho. We can get the first taste of what that can look like in just a few hours as they go up against Espanyol. The whole crew will be there. Kickoff [music] is at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time, but join us 30 minutes before at 3:00 p.m. for the pre-show on ABC and ESPN Deportes. Well, World Cup champion Nico Williams is on the bench for Bilbao, but will he come on to have anything to say against Sevilla? We'll find out next. >> With that my message is okay to be in the best country. In just a minutes we will have Athletic Club de Bilbao going up against Sevilla. >> [music] >> It's Athletic Club's La Liga opener. Here's a look at how the visitors will line up today. You'll see that Guridi and Fernandez are in the 11. Both of them and [music] their penalties helped Sevilla get a controversial win over Rayo Vallecano on match day one. It's a new era as well for Athletic Club de Bilbao under a new manager. Nico Williams, the World Cup champion is on the bench. His brother Iñaki Williams starts. We will see if [music] Nico has any part to play in this game. Let's have a look at the odds now and Athletic Club de Bilbao favorites to win this one, Casey. So let's get [music] into it. Predictions. What do you see happening? >> Yeah, I think it'll be fairly comfortable for Athletic Club. Say like 2-0, something like that. Uh Sevilla I think were were a little bit lucky last week and will be just relieved of the early three points. And and then I think there's a a to prove at home for Athletic Club. Such a terrible season last year for their standards and they'll want to put that right in the opening game at home. >> Nico Williams, any part to play? >> Oh, yeah. Definitely. I think he'll come on 20-30 minutes left. >> They need him, don't they? >> They need him to be in the form of a couple seasons ago. And and if they want to have any chance of being near the I don't say the top of the table, but up in the European spots, they need Nico Williams to be on form. >> All right. Well, this entire crowd at San Mamés, no doubt, will want to see the World Cup champion. Now, we're counting down to kick off. Let's leave you with our commentators, Adrian Healey and Alex Pareja. >> [cheering] >> It may be a late start for La Liga here in Bilbao, but it's an opening fixture for them that promises so much here at San Mamés as Athletic Club get ready to take on Sevilla in their opener. Delighted to welcome you to yet another season of coverage here on ESPN. Adrian Healey with Alex Breuer. Let's get straight to the team news, Alex, cuz this is the first selection for Athletic Club's new coach Edin Terzić and a couple of surprises perhaps, particularly in midfield with those young returning loanees. >> Good morning, Adrian. Delighted to be with you one more season. Yeah, those both players, both Canales, Peru Canales and Gerena Barrera are starting today after completing a successful season out on loan. Canales at Castellón, Gerena Barrera at Racing de Santander and they're the fresh faces from the fresh brand new manager Edin Terzić at San Mamés. >> Yes, those two preferred to the more normal protagonists in midfield, Ander Guevara and Dani García, having to be content with a place on the bench. So, Edin Terzić uh uh throwing his weight around already, the new man following on of course in the footsteps of the legendary Ernesto Valverde. And of the returning World Cup stars waiting in the wings. And Athletic have three of them. We're going to get to recognize them shortly. And first, the captains meeting in the middle. Iñaki Williams, of course, and Gabriel Suazo for Sevilla, who did make their league start last week at home with that 2-1 win against Real, a very narrow and somewhat controversial victory. And their coach uh Luis García Plaza has made three changes from that team. Alex, one of them in force with Salas suspended, but in comes Pekka into midfield. And Bobby uh is going to get the start, the the Scottish striker signed from Swedish football this summer. >> Both players changed that face of Sevilla against Real Mallorca, Unai Pekka, and they're playing today from the start. We see the three World Cup champions of Athletic Club, Aymeric Laporte, Nico Williams, and Unai Simon receiving this ovation from San Mamés. >> That's Unai Simon, the only one of the trio in the starting lineup. And of course, Luis de la Fuente also here. Spain's World Cup winning coach has connections to both clubs, Alex. Actually represented both clubs in his playing career. >> Yeah, he mainly played for Athletic Club, but he finished his career at Sevilla, Luis de la Fuente, nicknamed as Luis de la gente, Luis of the people, after conquering not only the World Cup, but also the Euros two seasons ago. >> That is a legendary figure you are looking at making his way out into the center circle. Iribar, legendary goalkeeper, the all-time appearance leader for Athletic Bilbao. Over 600 games he played for them in goal. And he is going to uh conduct a moment of silence in memory of Carmelo Cedrún, the goalkeeper for Athletic who just recently passed away. Cedrún it was, Alex, who preceded Iribar in goal here. for Athletic Club. >> Indeed. That's why Iribar is holding his jersey. He played more than 400 games in Primera División both with Athletic Club and Real Club Deportivo Español. Cedrún also played a World Cup in 1962 with Spain. And his son, Andoni Cedrún, also became a goalkeeper both for Athletic Club de Bilbao and for Real Zaragoza, where he's a true legend. He played Andoni Cedrún for Zaragoza in the late '80s and early '90s. This is a special place for goalkeepers. They're legends here at San Mamés. >> [cheering] >> And there is the current version, Unai Simón, returning World Cup hero, of course. Had such a fantastic campaign, didn't he? In the United States, where he only conceded one goal. And And every minute for Spain on their way to their triumph. Nico Williams and Aymeric Laporte >> [cheering] >> going to be content with places on the bench today having just returned from their vacation. So, away we go. And I would describe the mood here in Bilbao as a cocktail of uh excitement, expectation, with a little bit of uncertainty thrown in, too, Alex, given that this is the start of a new era for them under the uh guidance of Edin Terzić. >> That's a perfect description, Adrian. This is how they feel. They are excited, but uh if we consider that they haven't signed any player other than the the young loanees that came back like Yeray Álvarez or Peru Nolaskoain, uh and the fact that they were they had a very disappointing season uh last year, there's a lot of uncertainty, but also excitement because people think really think in Bilbao that Edin Terzić can get this team back to the to the same levels of energy that they displayed under the first seasons with Ernesto Valverde. This is Edin Terzić, the former Borussia Dortmund manager. He's only 43 years old. >> Yeah. And actually, his last competitive game as a coach was against Real Madrid, and that was in the the Champions League final at Wembley back in 2024. He's had 2 years uh to uh do the rounds and drop in on other teams and clubs and coaches before he uh took his next job. He didn't rush into this appointment, did he? As we look at his opposite number today, uh Luis García Plaza, the uh 53-year-old who guided Sevilla to safety. They were really in trouble last year, weren't they, under José Luis Mendilibar. His His team try and engineer something from the first corner. They've done it nicely. >> [cheering] >> Borja Iglesias was in the uh thick of the action there, but the referee >> [cheering] >> Soto Grado spotting an infringement. >> [cheering] >> Sevilla, as we mentioned, all in white today. And off the back of that narrow 2-1 win to open up the first day of La Liga action a week ago, they were at home against Rayo and uh came back from a goal down to win 2-1 late on. Both their goals coming from the penalty spot. Certainly a little bit of a contra- controversy about the winner, Alex. >> Absolutely. I I don't think that was a penalty, but yeah, DC's that chance in in Sevilla. They had a very poor game, especially in the first half. Uh there's very low expectations with this team, with this Sevilla side this year. They're in a very critical financial situation. Ruben Vargas, one of their best players, is out for sale. He's on on his way to Olympiacos. They have to dismantle the whole squad. >> Yeah. This is Yuri, 36-year-old playing at left back, sending his stabbed cross repelled back out to Alex Berenguer. >> [cheering] >> Berenguer, the man who'll play in that spot until it's Nico Williams' time. >> Indeed. And Iñaki stays on the right-hand side as he did under Ernesto Valverde, with Gorka Guruzeta playing as number nine. >> Yeah, to Oihan Sancet, who's looking to recapture some of his great form from 2 years ago. Good tee up, and the shot on the ground from Gerenabarrena. One of those young returning loanees we mentioned, who've been placed in the c