Two sides in the race for a European finish in La Liga will square off on Sunday. Vallecano will have home advantage as they bid to end a three-game winless run, while Athletic Bilbao will also be looking for a response after losing each of their previous two.
La Liga Preview
It was an excellent first half to the season for Vallecano, but they appear to be struggling to maintain that excellent form in the early weeks of the second half of the campaign. They remain sixth in the La Liga standings, but they have failed to win in their previous three top-flight games in Spain. Vallecano comes into this fixture after suffering just their seventh defeat of the season last weekend, while that was also their first loss in five matches.
It was a disappointing performance in that outing, as they were edged out by Cadiz by a 1-0 scoreline. Their frustrations were clear in the closing stages of the match, as they saw Alejandro Catena sent off in the sixth minute of injury time, meaning that he will be unavailable for this fixture on Sunday.
Athletic Bilbao also remains in the hunt for a European finish this season, but they have been stuttering since the resumption of play following the World Cup. Bilbao has suffered three defeats in their previous five matches, but they could still move above Vallecano into sixth with a victory this weekend.
They come into this fixture looking for a positive reaction, as Bilbao has suffered back-to-back defeats in their previous two matches. Their most recent loss was suffered at home against Girona, as they were beaten 3-2. All three goals that they allowed in that defeat were netted in the opening half, which means that they will need to start quicker this weekend.
Vallecano vs Athletic Bilbao Head to Head
Bilbao has picked up victories in each of their previous two matches against Vallecano, with the latest of those being a 3-2 success earlier this season. Vallecano has landed just a single win from the previous eight league meetings with Bilbao.
Vallecano vs Athletic Bilbao Prediction
Bilbao holds the advantage in the recent meetings, but they will need to perform much better than they did in their previous fixture. Despite defeat in their previous match, we expect a renewed effort from Vallecano this weekend, and we could see them securing maximum points.
Make sure to bet on Vallecano vs Athletic Bilbao with 22Bet!
