Ath Bilbao vs Alaves prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2024-03-15 20:00.
[p]It’s been a decade since Athletic Bilbao last finished in La Liga’s top four, but their dreams of a return to the UEFA Champions League remain well and truly alive. Ernesto Valverde’s side, who have to go back to 2017/18 for the last time they played any form of European football, are fifth in the table and hot on the coattails of fourth-placed Atletico Madrid, with just two points separating the two teams ahead of the final ten games of the campaign.[/p]
[p]The Lions have been in excellent form of late, with a 2-0 victory at Las Palmas last weekend ensuring they have lost just twice in the top flight since mid-October (W10, D6). Results have been particularly spectacular here at San Mamés, where league leaders Real Madrid are the only team to topple them this season, and since that 2-0 defeat in August, they are unbeaten in 13 La Liga outings (W10, D3).[/p]
[p]History suggests that record is unlikely to come to an end in this Basque derby, as opponents Alavés have won just one of the 12 away H2Hs this century (D3, L8), failing to even score in the last four! It has been an impressive campaign for the Babazorros though, who were promoted back to La Liga last summer and could yet achieve a top-half finish for the first time since 2016/17.[/p]
[p]Luis GarcĂa’s side head into this round sat in 13th, aided by losing just two of their last ten league fixtures (W4, D4). The most recent of those games was a 1-0 win at home to Rayo Vallecano, but results on the road have not been as forthcoming, with victories at Sevilla and AlmerĂa in January their only two away successes in La Liga since October 2021 (D8, L19)![/p]
[p]Key battle: Athletic goalkeeper Unai SimĂłn has kept a league-high 14 clean sheets from his 28 appearances this season. Looking to put a dent in that record will be AlavĂ©s striker Kike GarcĂa, whose five goals against the Lions is his joint-most for any opposition, but he has won only twice in 17 H2Hs (D7, L8). [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Athletic are unbeaten when scoring first in La Liga this season (W13, D3), whereas Alavés have only picked up two points after going 1-0 down (D2, L11).[/p]