Athletic aim to overcome deficit and knock out Sporting in Bilbao
0Athletic Bilbao will be looking to overturn a 2-1 deficit when they face Sporting Lisbon in their UEFA Europa League semi-final clash on Thursday.
The side from Spain's Basque country led 1-0 on the night through Jon Aurtenetxe in the Portuguese capital last week, before goals from Emiliano Insua and Diego Capel put Sporting in command.
Bilbao will be without attacking midfielder Oscar de Marcos, who is suspended, but are hoping to have Iker Muniain back after the Spain international missed the 1-0 win at Racing Santander at the weekend with an inflamed eye.
Sporting's coach Ricardo Sa Pinto, who took over from Domingos Paciencia in mid-season, has engineered a revival at the club.
The Portuguese side successfully disrupted Bilbao's flowing passing game last week and have won six of their last seven matches in all competitions, claiming the prized scalp of Manchester City in the last 16.
They have only won one European title in the past, when lifting the 1964 Cup Winners' Cup.
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