Villarreal vs Ath Bilbao prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2025-04-05 19:00.
[p]Villarreal secured what could prove a crucial 2-1 win at Getafe last time out, keeping alive their hopes of securing a top-four spot this season. That was the perfect response to back-to-back La Liga defeats and kept them just six points shy of visitors Athletic Club who sit fourth, making this a huge contest for the home side’s top-four aspirations.[/p]
[p]Following up their Getafe win is far from a foregone conclusion, as the Yellow Submarine have only won one of their last 12 La Liga games against Athletic Club (D6, L5), so history is firmly against them coming into this one. Recent home form isn’t on their side either, with Marcelino’s men winning just two of their last seven home league games (D3, L2), while they haven’t won a La Liga game anywhere this season against a side starting the round above them (D2, L4). [/p]
[p]Athletic stretched their impressive run to just one defeat from 20 La Liga games last time out, yet they would have hoped for more than the goalless draw against bottom-half Osasuna. That result was an indication of the attacking woes the away side have faced of late, with the contest the fourth in succession that they failed to net more than once (W1, D2, L1). [/p]
[p]The stalemate also extended Athletic’s tally of drawn La Liga games to 11 across this campaign – only Osasuna themselves have accumulated more (13). Four of the past six Villarreal-held H2Hs also ended level, but the two exceptions did come in the last two matches at Estadio de la Cerámica and each produced 5+ total match goals (W1, L1). [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Villarreal’s Álex Baena is chasing his first league goal since February, but might take confidence from his brace against Athletic in the 5-1 win back in May 2023. Athletic striker Iñaki Williams has scored five La Liga goals against Villarreal – only against four other sides has he scored more goals in the competition.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Villarreal have scored in 20 successive top-flight home games – never before have they done so in 21.[/p]
[p][i]Written by David H[/i][/p]