Espanyol vs Ath Bilbao prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2023-04-07 14:15.
The longest active losing streak of this La Liga (LL) season has Espanyol sitting in 18th place and on the verge of being relegated from Spain’s top division for the second time in four years. The revolving door of LL managers continued after the international break when, upon a fourth straight loss (2-1 away to Girona), Espanyol’s management ran out of patience with Diego MartĂnez after nine months at the helm.
They have now turned to uncredentialed Liverpool legend Luis GarcĂa to save their season. GarcĂa was successfully managing Real Madrid’s second reserve team in Spain’s fifth-tier Tercera FederaciĂłn prior to being headhunted, and the former attacking midfielder’s first job is to get his defensive unit back in shape. Espanyol’s current woes have come despite scoring in 13 consecutive LL games, consequently seeing both teams score on the day in all but two 1-0 wins over Elche and Betis.
After their Copa del Rey (CDR) semi-final elimination at the hands of Osasuna on Tuesday evening, Athletic Bilbao’s only path to European football next season is via the league. Whilst the CDR final result could open up a European slot for seventh place, which Athletic currently occupy, the aim for boss Ernesto Valverde will no doubt be to close down the seven-point gap to sixth-placed Villarreal and get back into the Europa League after a five-year absence.
Trips to Espanyol and AlmerĂa in coming weeks could be the opportunity Athletic need to put behind them what was one of the league’s worst records over the previous six rounds (W1, D2, L3). But having already lost at home to Espanyol, their only loss from their first eight games of the LL season, they certainly cannot take a lower ranked opponent for granted, especially as they now appear in worse shape!
Players to watch: Espanyol winger Martin Brathwaite booked his seventh second-half goal of the LL season at the weekend, but with very limited team success (W2, D2, L3) when on the scoresheet after the break. Gorka Guruzeta found the net in Athletic’s last LL away trip, with four of his five second-half LL goals this term coming in wins.
Hot streak: Espanyol’s last five LL matches have all produced more than 2.5 total goals, with both teams scoring on the day.