After losing against Barcelona in the second round, Athletic Club will host Valencia at San Mamés. This venue has been a fortress for the Basques, where they have remained unbeaten in their last 19 La Liga matches since a 2-0 defeat against Real Madrid in August 2023.
The club ended a 40-year trophy drought in 2024 by lifting the Copa del Rey trophy. However, the new campaign hasn’t started well for them. The Basques have yet to grab their first victory, having drawn against Getafe and lost to Barcelona.
It should be noted that in five out of the previous seven clashes in La Liga, Ernesto Valverde’s side managed to open the scoresheet first. Despite this, they only achieved a win on three occasions.
Valencia’s new season has not started well. In the first match, Los Ches lost against Barcelona and then suffered a defeat against Celta de Vigo. Valencia looked lacklustre in both games and is likely to be embroiled in a relegation battle this campaign.
Against Celta, Valencia initially took the lead thanks to a goal from Diego Lopez. However, Oscar Mingueza equalized the score and Iago Aspas later put the hosts ahead. It should be noted that Giorgi Mamardashvili saved a penalty at the end of the first half, providing a glimmer of hope.
Valencia showed no signs of improvement in the second half and eventually conceded the third goal. Now they face a difficult match against Bilbao, where securing three points will be a difficult task for Rubén Baraja’s side.
Bet hereThe last match between these clubs ended with a narrow 1-0 victory for Valencia. However, prior to that, the Basques had not lost to their opponents in eight consecutive head-to-head encounters in La Liga, securing three wins and five draws.
At San Mamés, the results are also in favor of Bilbao. In 12 previous meetings at this venue, Athletic won 4 times, while 7 matches ended in draws, and Valencia managed only one win.
Valencia are currently in a decline – they grabbed only two points in the last nine matches in La Liga. Bilbao on the other hand play well on their home turf with their only defeat since August 2023 coming against Real Madrid.
We think the hosts will continue their impressive unbeaten streak at San Mamés. In the last 19 home games in La Liga, they have scored at least two goals on 14 occasions. Therefore, our free football prediction suggests picking Athletic Club to win this game.
Valencia have conceded five goals so far, and their defence looks fragile, making it difficult to keep a clean sheet against Bilbao. Despite Giorgi Mamardashvili’s heroics against Barcelona and Celta, the centre-backs have allowed too many errors.
Bilbao will aim to seize the initiative from the first minute. They will be motivated to grab their first victory, but similar to Valencia, they also have issues in the defence.
In the last four head-to-head meetings, these teams have scored 12 goals between them, so we should expect a productive performance can be expected in this encounter as well. We suggest taking the following pick – both teams to score.
Disclaimer: The content provided on this page, including all football predictions, odds, and related information, is for entertainment and informational purposes only. While we strive to ensure accuracy and timeliness, we do not guarantee the correctness or reliability of any predictions, data, or information presented here.
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