Etxeita wary of Cordoba threat

Athletic Bilbao defender Xabier Etxeita has warned his teammates of the danger of underestimating Cordoba on Friday.

The clubs clash at the Nuevo Arcangel with the Basques chasing seventh place and a European spot while the Andalusians, bottom and eight points adrift of safety, are desperate for points, but Etxeita feels it will be far from straightforward.

“It is also a vital game for them and they will not give anything away. They’ll fight to the death,” he told a Press conference.

“They beat us 1-0 at San Mames earlier in the season and that is incentive enough for us as nobody likes to lose.

“It’s a chance to get our away form back on track because lately we’ve not been starting games well, so the intention is to get after them right from the beginning.”

The 27-year-old admits Ernesto Valverde’s team are hoping to overtake Malaga in their quest to secure a Europa League place for next season, with the Costa del Sol outfit just three point ahead of them in seventh.

“We have to put pressure on Malaga before their game [on Sunday against Deportivo la Coruna] and we want to finish above them, although we’ll have to get a lot of points.

“However, it’s a nice challenge and we’re all excited about it. We’ve seen Malaga up there all year and now we have the opportunity to pass them, so this game is very important,” he affirmed.

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