There is a round of midweek fixtures in La Liga this week, as Espanyol host Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday evening. Both sides have enjoyed fine starts to the new season, and will be looking to reach the European spots with a victory this week.
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Athletic Bilbao have started the season in slightly better form than their rivals coming into this fixture, as they currently sit eighth in the league standings. Meanwhile, Espanyol are just inside the bottom half of the standings in eleventh.
Bilbao have shown some excellent form in their last couple of fixtures in La Liga, as they have taken six points from their last two games. They have been beaten on just one occasion in their last five league fixtures, and a win on Tuesday night could see them go into the top four after ten games of the new season.
Bilbao won their last fixture against Villarreal, as they came out on top with a 2-1 victory. Raul Garcia opened the scoring in that home fixture, but the points were secured from the penalty spot with 13 minutes left to play, as Iker Munian made no mistake from 12 yards.
Espanyol’s return to the Spanish top flight has been a strong one, and they currently look in no danger of being dragged into a relegation fight this season. They have won three of their ten fixtures, and have tasted defeat on just three occasions.
Their form over the last five games has been very good, as they have won three times and have lost just once. They weren’t able to get a fourth win in five at the weekend though, as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Elche. Manu Morlanes and Raul de Tomas scored in the draw.
Espanyol vs Athletic Bilbao Head to Head
These fixtures have always been tight affairs, with Espanyol winning 12 times and Bilbao picking up ten wins in the last 31 fixtures. Bilbao are unbeaten in their last three against Espanyol, but two of the games during that run have ended in draws.
Espanyol vs Athletic Bilbao Prediction
Bilbao’s form at the start of the season has been very good, and it would be challenging to see them losing this fixture. However, they haven’t won away at Espanyol since 2015, which means a draw could be the bet option.
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