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| PROBABLE LINEUPS |
BILBAO  Iraizoz Iraola, Ekiza, Martinez, Aurtenetxe Perez, De Marcos, Herrera Susaeta, Llorente, Muniain | SCHALKE  Unnerstall Uchida, Matip, Papadopoulos, Fuchs Jones, Holtby Farfan, Raul, Draxler Huntelaar |
Having rested several key plays for Saturday's defeat to Barcelona, Marcelo Bielsa should reincorporate the likes of Ander Herrera, Iker Muniain and Fernando Llorente. Ibai Gomez and Gaizka Toquero are likely to settle for a place on the bench, while Ander Iturraspe and Fernando Amorebieta are suspended for this game.
For Schalke, Lars Unnerstall should make his European comeback, having surprisingly started against Hoffenheim on Sunday. However, fellow goalkeepers Ralf Fahrmann and Timo Hildebrand remain sidelined.
Benedikt Howedes and Christoph Metzelder are still injured and Huub Stevens is likely to name the same back line as in the first leg. In midfield Lewis Holtby is in with a chance to replace Marco Hoger, who disappointed in the 2-4 loss to Athletic Bilbao.
| DID YOU KNOW? |
Athletic Bilbao have won all of their last four Europa League games.
- The last time a German side played at San Mames Werder Bremen ran out 3-0 winners against the Basque outfit in 2009.
- However, Bilbao, since losing to Thomas Schaaf's side, have not lost any of the seven subsequent home games in Europe.
- Schalke striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (pictured right) has scored a hat-trick in both of the last two rounds, but failed score in the first leg.
- He scored twice in a 5-2 win at San Mames in 2009, when playing for Real Madrid.
- The Royal Blues kept a clean sheet in all of their away games in the group stage, but have failed to win on their European travels since.
Despite the convincing nature of the scoreline in Gelsenkirchen a week ago, Athletic Bilbao were hardly the dominant team against Schalke, who would have got more from the match, were it not for some defensive lapses. I'd expect the second leg to be a far tighter affair, but, with the tie all but decided in the first encounter, I'd expect the hosts to edge through to the semi-finals without needing to leave first gear.
Editor's Prediction
Bilbao 2-2 Schalke 
