Athletic Bilbao (Home)
- Athletic Bilbao are 13th in LaLiga with 24 points from 21 games, struggling in mid-table.
- Valverde’s Athletic side have won only five of ten home games in this LaLiga campaign.
- Athletic have won two, drawn one and lost two of their last five in all competitions.
Real Sociedad (Away)
- Real Sociedad are unbeaten in five matches, winning four, in all competitions.
- Sociedad, who beat Athletic Bilbao 3-2 at home in LaLiga a couple of months ago, are in eighth place with 27 points from 21 fixtures.
- This system seems to suit the playing personnel he has at his disposal well and his team have responded by scoring 1.10 goals per game away in LaLiga and conceding 1.30, which is more than a little open for a team that are not regular scorers.
Head-to-Head
A game of two cities, two cultures and two different philosophies will be on display when Athletic Bilbao host Real Sociedad in a Basque derby that has been evenly poised in recent years with two wins apiece and a draw from the last five meetings in all competitions.
Key Players
- Nico Williams is the team’s top scorer in LaLiga with four in 17 appearances and the young winger’s pace and directness will be vital against an opponent who has failed to win in their last two away visits to San Mamés.
- Gorka Guruzeta has three in his last five appearances and is beginning to contribute in a more prominent role up front.
- Mikel Oyarzabal is Sociedad’s main man in front of goal and has eight goals in 18 games in the top flight.
- He has a habit of popping up in the big games and he is likely to be the main threat to Bilbao’s defense on Sunday.
Betting Insights
- The hosts are 2.15 favorites for this game, which looks like a decent price given Sociedad are 3.5 and the draw 3.1.
- Both Teams to Score is coming in at 1.85, which looks very fair given how these teams are playing right now and the nature of this derby, where the rivalry can lead to open play and moments of brilliance that can decide the outcome.
- Athletic are averaging exactly one goal per game at home in LaLiga this term, so they can’t be relied upon to outscore Sociedad, who have four wins and a draw in their last five games.
Prediction
- I’m with the hosts, who have won two, drawn one and lost two of their last five in all competitions.
- Their most recent away victory maintains their momentum and they ought to get a result in Bilbao against an inconsistent opponent.
