Atl. Madrid vs Ath Bilbao prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2024-04-26 19:00.
[p]Saturday evening hands us a crunch clash at the top end of the La Liga table as AtlĂ©tico Madrid welcome Athletic Bilbao with both sides sitting fourth and fifth respectively coming into the round. It’s the hosts that boast a three-point advantage, although three defeats from their past five league matches (W2) – including last time out against lowly AlavĂ©s (2-0) – does indicate form is evading them at the worst time as we approach the campaign’s finale. [/p]
[p]A leaking defence has been their biggest recent hindrance and their issues are best highlighted by the fact they’ve conceded goals in 12 straight competitive games for the first time this century. Now AtlĂ©tico will try and stop that rot against a team they’ve already faced three times this season – falling to defeat in each meeting without scoring a single goal! [/p]
[p]While this season will always be remembered in a positive light no matter what happens from here for Athletic after they ended a 40-year wait for silverware, there’s no denying that they too look to be running out of steam at the business end of this campaign. Including their penalty shootout win in the Copa del Rey final over Mallorca three weeks ago, they are without a 90-minute win in four competitive matches (D3, L1). [/p]
[p]Realistically if they are to sneak a top-four spot this year, Athletic need to get back to winning ways here, but Ernesto Valverde’s men have had somewhat of an inferiority complex when taking on the league’s best on the road this season. They are winless in all six of their games away at current top-eight sides this season (D1, L5), failing to score more than a single goal in each. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Antoine Griezmann netted a brace in AtlĂ©tico’s last home league game and scored the match-winning goal between the two here last season (1-0). This is set to be an emotional game for Athletic captain Iker Muniain who announced he is to leave the club after 19 years of service at the end of this season – he will hope to improve his H2H record in this potential final appearance (W6, D3, L17). [/p]
[p]Hot streak: Athletic’s last six competitive matches have produced exactly two match goals. [/p]