Ath Bilbao vs Almeria prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2023-10-05 19:00.
It was a chastening weekend for Athletic Bilbao, whose six-game unbeaten run (W4, D2) in La Liga (LL) football ended in dramatic fashion with a 3-0 defeat in the Basque derby against Sociedad. Boss Ernesto Valverde felt it was an even contest in spite of the result, putting it down to his side not being as âdecisiveâ and âclinicalâ in front of goal as their rivals. It ultimately put them three points behind where they were at the same stage of 2022/23, when finishing eighth.
Their chances of bouncing back appear high, with Athletic unbeaten on home soil since their 2-0 defeat against Real Madrid in August (W2, D1). Valverdeâs side piled on nine goals across those three games, a stark improvement after failing to score in six of their eight prior LL home games. It has set them up nicely to extend a five-game winning streak at home against upcoming opponents AlmerĂa that spans across more than 13 years!
Ending that run of five straight H2H away defeats seems unlikely at best for AlmerĂa when considering they remain the only side yet to win a league game (D3, L5). The visitors have conceded at least twice in all but one of their games this season and they canât even take much inspiration from their 3-3 draw at home to fellow relegation contenders Granada in the last round, having blown a 3-0 half-time lead!
A key area for improvement highlighted in that game is AlmerĂaâs discipline, as they became the first LL side in 2023/24 to concede two penalties in multiple matches. Things havenât been much better on the road with the Rojiblancos conceding in each of their last five away halves of play, although they can perhaps take limited pride in the fact that they have scored in each away game this season (D1, L2).
Players to watch: If AlmerĂa continue giving away penalties like treats, Athleticâs Mikel Vesga will be happy to oblige after scoring five of his six career penalties, including two at home this term and his first one against this very opposition. As for the visitors, Largie Ramazani became the first player to assist three times in the same LL game for AlmerĂa last weekend, all three of which were finished before half-time by teammate Luis SuĂĄrez.
Hot stat: A league-high seven of AlmerĂaâs eight games this season saw both teams score.