Athletic Bilbao (Home)
- The fierce Basque rivalry between Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad resumes on Wednesday in the first leg of their Copa del Rey 2025-2026 semifinal at San Mamés with both clubs desperate to reach the final at La Cartuja.
- The Lions, who are only mid-table, have been erratic with one win, two draws and two defeats from their last five in all competitions, although they advanced in the Copa del Rey with a stoppage-time winner at Valencia.
- This is a clash of styles with Athletic typically sitting back in a compact 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 system, inviting pressure onto themselves before trying to counter-attack directly over the top with the Williams brothers or from deep with late runners like Oihan Sancet.
- Athletic have won two and drawn one of their last three home derbies, although they have been struggling with squad injuries and selection issues of late.
Real Sociedad (Away)
- La Real will take the field in better form with Pellegrino Matarazzo’s side having won four and drawn one of their last five competitive fixtures to push themselves a few points above Athletic in the upper half of the table.
- Pellegrino Matarazzo’s high-press, high-tempo style of football appears to be getting the best out of the group and his tactical acumen has been a revelation.
- Real Sociedad have the superior form and better rhythm in attack, but the home team’s cup pedigree is hard to ignore and the match odds reflect that.
Head-to-Head
The last six competitive meetings of the clubs in all venues and competitions have produced two wins apiece and two draws , with Athletic’s most recent 1-1 draw coming via an 88th-minute equaliser by Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta in LaLiga.
Key Players
- Real Sociedad captain Mikel Oyarzabal is in red-hot form after notching a brace against Celta Vigo and contributing to their LaLiga win over Barcelona.
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He is the fulcrum of La Real’s attack with Brais Méndez and Takefusa Kubo providing crucial midfield and attacking moments while keeper Álex Remiro provides solidity at the back.
- Mikel Oyarzabal
- Brais Méndez
- Takefusa Kubo
- Álex Remiro
- Gonçalo Guedes has been a huge boost to their squad and provides a directness and pace on the right flank that they have been lacking for some time.
- Athletic’s talisman Nico Williams can be just as dangerous on the wing, but he is battling pubalgia and his availability is a concern.
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Oihan Sancet has been the driving force behind their attack this season while Mikel Jauregizar and Robert Navarro have both been big contributors in recent LaLiga games.
- Gonçalo Guedes
- Nico Williams (pubalgia)
- Oihan Sancet
- Mikel Jauregizar
- Robert Navarro
Betting Insights
- At 2.35, Athletic are slightly overpriced here with La Real coming in at 2.94 and the draw at 3.05.
- The bookies are expecting a cagey affair and the Under 2.5 goals option is coming in at 1.65, which is about right for this type of game.
- But the weather at San Mamés is forecast to be cloudy with possible showers on Wednesday, which could favour the visitors, who have an aggressive pressing game.
Prediction
- Backing a Real Sociedad or draw double chance looks like the best play with the momentum of the visitors.
- The teams are so evenly matched that it would be no surprise to see this go all the way.
