| Odds via 22bet | |
| Espanyol vs Athletic Club | Sunday, February 16, 2025, 14:00 GMT+1 |
| Espanyol odds | 5.05 |
| Athletic Club odds | 1.74 |
| Draw | 3.56 |
| Over 1.5 | 1.4 |
Espanyol, who are languishing in the 16th spot of the La Liga table at the moment, will face a tough challenge when they host Athletic Club Bilbao on Sunday. This game will spark a lot of interest from the home fans as they want their team to win as many matches as possible and move away from the possibility of relegation at the end of the season.
The second team from Barcelona, as Espanyol are often referred to, is just about survive by the skin of their teeth, but they will be hopeful of a strong performance by the end of this season.
For this game, Brian Olivan, Fernando Pacheco, José Gragera and Pol Lozano will be absent due to injury, but Espanyol will have to find ways to pick up at least a point against their much higher-ranked opponents.
The home team are known to build up a wall in defence and rarely allow their opposition wingers to find space in the final third. In this game, their zonal marking system will be tested to the full as they will employ the high defensive line hoping to catch Bilbao’s attackers offside.
Centre-backs Kalero and Kumbulla will have the task of marshalling their defence in this game, and given how well they have led them so far, it should not be too challenging an ask.
Espanyol predicted lineup vs Athletic Club: (4-2-3-1): J. García; El Hilali, Kumbulla, Calero, Romero; Lozano, González; Carreras, Kral, Puado; Fernández.
Athletic Club Bilbao will hope that they do not have to struggle too much for the three points they feel they will be owed at the end of this game against Espanyol. However, being ranked in the fourth position of the league table presents them with the unique opportunity of challenging leaders Real Madrid, who are just six points clear of them at the top.
If Madrid were to lose two matches and Bilbao were to continue in their winning spree, there is no saying where they could end up at the end of the season. Hence, this game will be crucial for the visitors – they will not take their opponents lightly by any means.
The absence of Álvaro Djaló, Nico Williams, Íñigo Ruiz and Unai Núñez will hamper Athletic’s chances in this game, but they have enough reserves in their squad to make up for this loss. Nico’s absence from the squad will be massive, as he plays a vital role for Athletic in building up play from the wings.
Athletic Club predicted lineup vs Espanyol: (4-2-3-1): Simón; Gorosabel, Vivian, Paredes, Lekue; Jauregizar, Vesga; Berenguer, I. Williams, Sancet; Guruzeta.
Bet hereDespite Espanyol’s many impressive qualities, there is only one clear pick in this game: Athletic Club to win, and by a fair margin.
Both teams have won the same number of matches against each other in the past (10) but Athletic’s higher standing in the league, as well as recent form, suggests that they will have the upper hand.
What’s more, they have been unbeaten on 18 out of the 28 occasions they have faced Espanyol in the past. Most importantly, Athletic have been unbeaten in four out of the last five matches they have played.
We expect to see a total of over 1.5 goals in this game. Bilbao’s wingers are their main playmakers and are also the designated searchers of space and width in the final third.
Their short passing skills, which were in full display in their 3-0 win over Girona recently, will be tested by the Espanyol defenders in this game as well.
The home team, however, will stand up to be counted in this game, as they did in their recent 1-0 victory over Real Madrid. Although this win was followed by a 1-2 loss to Real Sociedad, the hosts will carry enough confidence and momentum with them.
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