Levante vs Athletic Bilbao preview - Martinez ready for "biggest game"

Posted Sunday, May 13, 2012 by PA

Levante manager Juan Ignacio Martinez has admitted their clash with Athletic Bilbao at the Ciutat de Valencia will be the biggest game of his career.

Martinez's men have an outside chance of sealing a Champions League spot next season, but they must beat Bilbao and hope results go in their favour.

Seventh-placed Levante would need Malaga to lose at home to Sporting Gijon and Atletico Madrid and Mallorca fail to win at Villarreal and Real Madrid respectively if they are to qualify for Europe's premier competition.

And while Martinez is aware their chances are slim, he is not prepared to give up on his dream.

"We're talking about Europe and for me it's the biggest game of my sporting career," he said. "It is so nice, so great.

"In January, we thought our rivals could fall from the top positions and we are immersed in this dream. Hopefully I will wake up on Sunday at 10 o'clock at night with the dream come true.

"We're outsiders but we have faith that our rivals will have their setbacks. If we win we will be able to be in Europe."

Bilbao, meanwhile, will be champing at their bit to finish their Primera Division campaign on a high as they attempt to get over their Europa League final heartache.

A brace from Radamel Falcao plus Diego's late strike handed Atletico Madrid a 3-0 triumph over Bilbao on Wednesday night in Bucharest.

While Los Leones still have the opportunity to end their season with some silverware with victory over Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final on May 25, striker Fernando Llorente insists they need to learn from what happened against Atletico.

"We have to analyse what happened and try to learn from our mistakes," he told Marca.

"Clearly it was a very tense game, where we had a lot of pressure, as they did. The problem was they started very strongly with a goal in the sixth minute.

"But this is where we must be stronger and united. We have to support each other and the team will recover fully."