Athletic Bilbao centre-back Vivian hoping Marcelino stays | OneFootball

Athletic Bilbao centre-back Dani Vivian says they'll go into the final stretch of the season full of confidence.

After a two-week international break, Los Rojiblancos are back in LaLiga action, taking on Elche CF at San Mamés on Sunday afternoon.

“We've had two weeks to prepare for this match, the most important match for us at the moment," Vivian said at a pre-match press conference on Wednesday afternoon. “There are nine games left, some of which are against direct rivals for a European place.

“We believe in what we're doing and I think we're in good shape for this final sprint. First we have to beat Elche and then we'll start to think about Villarreal."

Vivian reiterated his trust in all of his teammates while talking about the impact Iñigo Martinez's recent absence has had on the squad. He said: “Iñigo is a legend, but I have a lot of confidence in all my colleagues.

“You only have to see their commitment, dedication and effort in every training session. We're all rowing in the same direction, and as a group we're approaching this great challenge of getting into Europe."

Elche, 14th in LaLiga Santander, are coming to Bilbao off the back of two wins and three losses in their last five fixtures. Vivian singled out their direct style and physicality as potential dangers.

He said: “We saw it in the first match of the season, it was a difficult game and we're expecting the same thing this Sunday. We'll have to be alert, we'll try to impose our typical high-tempo style, and if we can do that, we'll take home all three points.

When asked about Marcelino's future, the centre-back responded by saying: “I'd love for him to stay with us for a long time. He gave me my top-flight debut and we've grown a lot with him as our coach. I hope he stays."