Girona vs Ath Bilbao prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2023-11-26 20:00.
Girona head coach MĂchel is refusing to be drawn in publicly on whether his side can maintain their shock La Liga (LL) title challenge, but there is real momentum being built in the White and Reds’ camp after their 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano last time out saw them enter the international break two points clear at the LL summit. Their boss did accept, though, that their start does at least move their “dream” of European football “closer.”
Even finishing in the top seven for the first time would be a remarkable achievement for Girona, who are in only their fourth campaign in the Spanish top-flight. Another win here would actually equal the points total they amassed when getting relegated in 2018/19 (37), and few would bet against them registering a seventh success in a row across all competitions, especially with this contest coming at home where they have picked up five victories in six league fixtures (L1).
Doing that won’t be easy against an Athletic Bilbao side who won their last three games across all competitions. The most recent of those was a 4-3 victory over Celta Vigo, when Ernesto Valverde’s side twice came from behind before securing the victory with a 90th-minute penalty, leading the manager to praise his side’s “persistence.”
Remarkably, that result means they have scored 11 goals across their last four competitive outings (W3, D1). But things aren’t going so well at the other end with the Lions conceding eight goals across the same period and keeping just one clean sheet in their eight league and cup fixtures since mid-September raises doubts over whether they can tip the historical H2H record in their favour here (W3, L3).
Key battle: Goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga has won all three of his personal H2Hs, two of which were for Girona last season. Looking to break that record will be visiting forward Gorka Guruzeta, who has helped Athletic Bilbao to victory in each of the seven games in which he has scored since a 2-1 defeat in this corresponding fixture last season.
Hot stat: Only five of Athletic Bilbao’s 13 LL games have seen both teams score, a joint-low for the division.