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An interesting fixture is on the cards as two Basque sides battle for supremacy in the 11th round of La Liga at San Mames on Sunday night.
Athletic Bilbao will look to continue their fine form after kicking off their Copa del Rey campaign with a victory.
Real Sociedad, meanwhile, are eyeing a fourth consecutive win.
Read our Athletic Bilbao vs Real Sociedad prediction, preview and betting tips below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Athletic Bilbao vs Real Sociedad key stats
- At least five cards were awarded in four of the last five Basque derbies.
- Real Sociedad have drawn first blood in four of the last five H2Hs.
- Eight of the visiting team's last 10 outings have gone above the 2.5-goal threshold.
Athletic Bilbao vs Real Sociedad preview: Can the visitors hold their own?
Athletic Bilbao vs Real Sociedad — Tale of the Tape
| Athletic Bilbao | vs | Real Sociedad |
|---|---|---|
| 8th | Position | 5th |
| 12 | Points | 19 |
| 12 | Goals For | 19 |
| 9 | Goals Against | 18 |
| 5 | Clean Sheets | 1 |
| 10th | Home / Away Rank | 4th |
*These figures were accurate at the time of publishing.
Athletic Bilbao kick-started their Copa del Rey campaign in style, defeating amateur side Prat 6-1 on the road.
Including last weekend's 4-0 victory over Getafe, the hosts have won back-to-back games for the second time this season, scoring 10 goals in the process.
Edin Terzic's troops have earned 12 points from nine league matches and are eighth in La Liga. They are also unbeaten in their last four home games, keeping three clean sheets during that stretch.
Gorka Guruzeta and Unai Eguiluz are both sidelined with cruciate ligament injuries, while Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta's status is questionable as he deals with a hamstring injury.
Unlike their opponents, Real Sociedad did not participate in the first round of the Copa del Rey due to their status as defending champions; they are one of four teams that will feature in the Spanish Super Cup, and all four were exempt from the opening round.
Pellegrino Matarazzo's men have enjoyed some fine form in recent weeks, as they have won three games in a row and are unbeaten in their last five matches across all competitions (W4, D1).
Following last weekend's 2-1 victory over Levante, the visitors have now won four consecutive La Liga fixtures. They are fifth in the Spanish top flight with a 6-1-3 win-draw-loss record.
It is also worth mentioning that Real Sociedad are one of the league's best travellers, having earned nine of their 19 points on the road. They will be without the injured Alvaro Odriozola and Luken Beitia for this trip.
Real Sociedad are unbeaten in the last five competitive H2Hs (W3, D2), although they lost the most recent clash between these teams, a 1-0 friendly defeat during the last international break.
Athletic Bilbao vs Real Sociedad form guide & betting tips
| Athletic Bilbao | vs | Real Sociedad |
|---|---|---|
D
D
D
L
W
|
La Liga Form |
L
W
W
W
W
|
| 6 | Points | 12 |
| 10th | Form Table | 4th |
| 5 | Goals For | 13 |
| 3 | Goals Against | 10 |
W
D
W
D
L
W
|
Form (All Comps) |
W
D
W
W
W
|
Whispers Predicts: Athletic Bilbao 1-2 Real Sociedad
Priced at 5/4 (2.23), Athletic Bilbao are considered favourites by the bookies.
However, the hosts have lost three of the last four competitive clashes between these sides, and considering Real Sociedad's winning streak in this competition, we are confident that the visitors will emerge victorious after 90 minutes.
The last four competitive H2Hs have all featured at least five cards, and this can be backed at 13/20 (1.65).
We also fancy over 2.5 total goals at 4/6 (1.67), as was the case in eight of the visiting team's last 10 fixtures.
> Over 2.5 total goals at 4/6 (1.67) | Likelihood: Probable
> Over 4.5 total cards at 13/20 (1.65) | Likelihood: Probable
> Match result: Real Sociedad at 23/10 (3.30) | Likelihood: Possible
> Real Sociedad to score first at 11/10 (2.10) | Likelihood: Probable
> Correct Score: 1-2 at 10/1 (11.00) | Likelihood: Outsider