Ath Bilbao vs Las Palmas prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2023-12-19 20:30.
Athletic Bilbao kept the pressure on La Liga’s (LL) top four with a 2-0 win at home to fourth-placed Atlético Madrid, treating the San Mamés crowd to a third straight victory on their own patch. In fact, since an opening-round loss to giants Real Madrid (2-0), they have taken 20 of a possible 24 LL points at home (W6, D2), thanks in no small part to scoring 2+ goals during each of those eight encounters!
The Basque faithful will expect them to be too good for Las Palmas, not just on the basis of their home form, but also their unbeaten W8, D4 record this LL season against clubs starting this matchday outside the top six. Determined to make their first full campaign after their 125th anniversary last July an unforgettable one, manager Ernesto Valverde pointed to their pair of 1-0 defeats to Atlético last term as proof that his team is heading in the right direction.
Valverde’s opposite number GarcĂa Pimienta admitted that Las Palmas didn’t play anywhere near their best in the 1-1 draw against Cádiz on Sunday, but was encouraged by their ability to pick up a result with an average performance. It’s easy to forget that the Canary Islanders are a newly promoted side, especially as they have now recorded their best 17-game start to a top-flight campaign since 1979/80.
Las Palmas subsequently occupy a top-half place despite having lost their first four LL away matches this season, duly improving their form on the road over the last couple of months (W3, D1, L1). This fixture promises to be a litmus test of Los Amarillos’ improvement, as they’ll be looking to end a run of four straight LL defeats on their travels to teams beginning this round in the top half, failing to score on each occasion.
Players to watch: Gorka Guruzeta has been instrumental in Athletic’s San Mamés success, netting in all six of their home wins this campaign. Las Palmas recruit Munir El Haddadi has played against Athletic more times (P17: W7, D5, L5) than any other club during his career, scoring in five of his last ten LL H2Hs.
Hot streak: All 17 of Las Palmas’ games so far this LL season have produced one or no first-half goals.