Athletic Bilbao will hope to turn their fortunes around when they welcome Real Betis to San Mames on Sunday.
The Basque giants are currently going through a rough patch, losing three consecutive matches without scoring a single goal.
Real Betis, meanwhile, are brimming with confidence after securing a UEFA Europa League quarter-final spot earlier this week.
Read our Athletic Bilbao vs Real Betis prediction, preview and betting tips. You can also check out our Today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
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Athletic Bilbao vs Real Betis key stats
- At least five cards were awarded in six of Athletic Bilbao’s last eight matches.
- Real Betis’ last eight games have all gone above the 4.5-card threshold.
- Five consecutive meetings between these teams have produced goals at both ends.
Athletic Bilbao vs Real Betis preview: Hosts to stop the rot?
| Athletic Bilbao | vs | Real Betis |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | Position | 5th |
| 35 | Points | 44 |
| 30 | Goals For | 43 |
| 40 | Goals Against | 35 |
| 5 | Clean Sheets | 8 |
| 9th | Home Rank | 5th |
| 13th | Away Rank | 5th |
*These figures were accurate at the time of publishing.
Athletic Bilbao's struggles continued with a humiliating 3-0 defeat against Girona last time out.
Ernesto Valverde's troops have now lost three consecutive games and are without a win in their last four matches across all competitions.
Only Barcelona have hit the woodwork more times than Real Betis in La Liga this season.
The Basque side have quite a number of players unavailable for selection, with Nico Williams, Benat Prados, Unai Eguiluz, Unai Gomez, and Aitor Paredes definitely on the sidelines due to injury.
Yeray Alvarez remains suspended until early April. The Spaniard has been on suspensipn since last July for a doping violation.
Coach Valverde is not expected to spring surprises up front, with Inaki Williams, Alex Berenguer, and Gorka Guruzeta getting the nod in the final third, while Oihan Sancet is tasked with providing creativity from the middle.
On the other hand, Real Betis booked a place in the UEFA Europa League's last eight with a comfortable 4-0 victory over Panathinaikos a few days ago.
Real Betis have received only one red card - the joint-best record in the Spanish top flight this season.
The Andalusian side will now turn their attention to La Liga, where they have not won since mid-February.
Manuel Pellegrini has no fresh injury concerns ahead of this skirmish. With the return of long-term absentees Giovani Lo Celso, Sofyan Amrabat, Isco Alarcon, and Aitor Ruibal from injury, there is no shortage of options for the former Manchester City manager, who will be eager to see his side halt their four-game winless run in the Spanish top flight.
Amrabat, who was key in Thursday’s Europa League win, has not featured for Real Betis in La Liga since last November, but the Moroccan midfielder should get some minutes on Sunday, alongside Cucho Hernandez, Antony, and Abdessamad Ezzalzouli.
Athletic Bilbao vs Real Betis form guide & betting tips
| Athletic Bilbao | vs | Real Betis |
|---|---|---|
| W-W-D-L-L | Form | W-D-D-L-D |
| 7 | Points | 6 |
| 11th | Form Table | 12th |
| 5 | Goals For | 6 |
| 7 | Goals Against | 7 |
Whispers Predicts: Athletic Bilbao 0-1 Real Betis
Despite their recent shortcomings, Real Betis are considering favourites by the bookies at
2.27.
However, given that the Basque side have drawn blanks in three consecutive matches, under 0.5 Athletic Bilbao goals can be backed at 4.00.
It is also worth mentioning that Real Betis opened the scoring in five of the last six H2Hs, while Athletic Bilbao conceded first in six of their last seven matches.
On that note, we fancy Real Betis to score first at 2.20.
> BTTS - No at 2.10 | Likelihood: Probable
> Under 2.5 goals at 1.93 | Likelihood: Probable
> Match result - Real Betis at 3.37 | Likelihood: Possible
> Real Betis & BTTS - No at 5.90 | Likelihood: Possible
> Correct score: 0-1 at 10.50 | Likelihood: Outsider