Ath Bilbao vs Celta Vigo prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2024-09-21 14:15.
[p]Just days before Athletic Club return to the European stage for the first time since 2017/18, they must first tackle fellow high-flyers Celta Vigo in La Liga. Ernesto Valverde’s men have enjoyed a positive start to the season (W3, D1, L2), with their only defeats coming against Barcelona and AtlĂ©tico Madrid – both of whom finished above the Lions last term.[/p]
[p]A 2-0 win over Leganés on Thursday continued their good start, and Athletic look primed to build on that at San Mamés. Only Atlético and Real Madrid have beaten them there in La Liga since the start of last season (W13, D7), while they’ve also enjoyed dominance in this fixture on home soil in the top-flight down the years (W42, D11, L5).[/p]
[p]This Celta Vigo outfit may just be confident of bucking the trend however, as they’re enjoying their best five-game start (W3, L2) to a La Liga season since 2015/16. The Sky Blues went on to finish sixth that year, and while a repeat may be beyond the expectations of even their most ambitious fans, more performances like the one they produced against Valladolid last week would go some way to rubber stamping their progress (W 3-1).[/p]
[p]Their dreadful record at San MamĂ©s suggests they’ll struggle to keep that up here, but Celta have actually avoided defeat on three of their last five visits (W2, D1). Whatever the outcome, goals should follow, as the Galicians’ matches have produced a league-high 23 total goals pre-round, while the last three H2Hs have seen 13 goals, including seven in last season’s corresponding fixture – a 4-3 win for Athletic![/p]
[p]Players to watch: Athletic stalwart Iñaki Williams is in fine form right now, directly contributing to four goals in his last two matches (G1, A3). Celta ought to be wary, as he’s had a hand in ten goals in 19 H2Hs (G4. A6) – securing a joint-career high ten wins (D3, L6)! The visitors have a veteran of their own in this fixture in the form of Iago Aspas – five of his ten goals against Athletic came at San MamĂ©s.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Ernesto Valverde has won a joint-career high 17 matches against Celta as a manager (D7, L6).[/p]
[p][i]Written by Ryan Fisher[/i][/p]