Ath Bilbao vs Nacional - Football - Europa League - Tip Preview

Athletic started the season on fire, winning their opening three Primera Division games and thumping Austria Vienna 3-0 in their first outing in Group L of the Europa League, but that now seems a long time ago with Joaquin Caparros' side having lost four of five matches since then whilst only drawing the other.Among those defeats was a 3-1 loss against Werder Bremen, a result that has left Athletic three points behind the German side in Group L but still two points ahead of Nacional and Austria, who have a point apiece.Nacional may not have done too well in the group stages so far, but they caused a huge upset in the Europa League play-offs when they knocked out 2008 UEFA Cup winners Zenit St Petersburg 5-4 on aggregate, and Iraola is keen to give Manuel Machado's side the respect he believes they deserve.Caparros could welcome back Fran Yeste, Ion Velez and David Lopez after injury for the match but is again set to be without Inaki Munoz, Inigo Diaz de Cerio, Iban Zubiaurre and Aitor Ocio, while teenager Iker Muniain is on duty with Spain Under-17s.Like Athletic, Nacional will be especially keen to pick up a win today's night as they need to breath fresh life into their European campaign having lost 3-2 at home to Bremen in their first Group L game and then only drawing 1-1 with Austria in their next outing.For me in this situation Bilbao needs this win.