On Sunday evening, Athletic Club hosts Villarreal at San Mames as the home team looks to boost their top-four chances in La Liga.
Athletic won the Copa del Rey last time outErnesto Valverde’s team won the Copa del Rey last time out, beating Real Mallorca in the final in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw.
When it comes to La Liga, Athletic suffered a 2-0 defeat at Liga leaders Real Madrid last time out. Los Leones had also previously recorded back-to-back La Liga wins while keeping three straight clean sheets.
The defeat in the capital has hampered Athletic’s bid for a top-four spot in La Liga. The boys from Bilbao are now in fifth place in the table, two points adrift of Atletico Madrid in the Champions League spots.
Athletic are unbeaten in their last 14 home games in La Liga, having recorded 11 wins and three draws. Valverde’s team has been prolific of late in the Spanish top flight, scoring at least two goals in 12 of the 14 unbeaten matches.
Villarreal’s unbeaten run ended at AtleticoThe Yellow Submarine saw a four-game winning run in La Liga, which ended with a 2-1 home defeat against Atletico Madrid.
The defeat dented the visitors outside hopes of earning a top-six finish, as they are now 10th place in the table, 11 points adrift of the European spots.
Their recent matches in the Spanish top flight have been high-scoring affairs, with over 2.5 goals scored in four of the last five matches.
Villarreal has a solid recent away record in La Liga, as they are unbeaten in four games on their travels. Marcelino’s team has also scored at least three goals in three of the last four games in the Spanish top flight.
What am I backing?This could be an exciting encounter between two very good teams. I believe this could be a high-scoring encounter, so the bet I am backing is over 2.5 goals scored.
