Ath Bilbao vs Alaves prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2025-05-10 16:30.
[p]After a 7-1 aggregate thrashing at the hands of Manchester United denied them a spot in the UEFA Europa League final at their own stadium, Athletic Club swiftly turn their attention back to La Liga. They go into this weekend fourth in the Spanish top flight, four points ahead of sixth-placed Real Betis who sit just outside the UEFA Champions League qualification spots, a gap they’ll hope to build on against an Alavés side they’re unbeaten against in seven H2Hs (W4, D3).[/p]
[p]Athletic kept a clean sheet in six of those matches, although the sole exception was this term’s reverse fixture (1-1). A 14-match unbeaten run in home league action (W9, D5) will only fuel belief that they can stretch that run further, and with boss Ernesto Valverde winning eight of his last nine personal H2Hs against Alavés, it’s no surprise to see Athletic come into this clash as heavy favourites.[/p]
[p]After losing to Real Madrid in mid-April, Alavés were nervously looking over their shoulder, with just a point keeping them out of the drop zone. An improbable three-match unbeaten run since (W1, D2) then has opened up that cushion to a more comfortable three points pre-round, but with four games remaining, they’re far from safe just yet.[/p]
[p]Contrary to what you might expect of a struggling side, Alavés tend to perform better on the road, with their away record this season going into matchday 35 the 12th-best in La Liga (W3, D6, L8). They are currently enjoying a five-game run without defeat on the road (W1, D4), and stretching that run to six would represent their longest unbeaten streak on their travels in the competition since 2000![/p]
[p]Players to watch: With several stars set to miss out through injury or suspension, Gorka Guruzeta will shoulder much of the attacking burden for Athletic. He scored both goals in last term’s corresponding 2-0 win over AlavĂ©s and has netted eight of his last ten strikes at club level on home turf. Veteran centre-forward Kike GarcĂa got AlavĂ©s’ last away goal, the fourth consecutive scoring appearance of his to end in a draw.[/p]
[p]Hot streak: Athletic have not conceded more than once in any of their last 18 La Liga home games![/p]
[p][i]Written by Alex Bowmer[/i][/p]