Espanyol vs Athletic Bilbao - prediction, preview & betting tips

Athletic Bilbao will look to return to winning ways when they take on Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium on Wednesday.

The Basque side have lost four of their last six matches but are still in contention for a European spot.

Espanyol, on the other hand, are still in the hunt for their first win of the year.

Read our Espanyol vs Athletic Bilbao prediction, preview and betting tips below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.

Espanyol vs Athletic Bilbao key stats

Five of the last seven H2Hs at this stadium ended in stalemates.
Athletic Bilbao drew first blood in four of the last five encounters between these sides.
Each of Espanyol's last five matches and four of Athletic Bilbao's last five games produced at least five cards.

Espanyol vs Athletic Bilbao preview: Can Espanyol salvage their season?

Espanyol vs Athletic Bilbao — Tale of the Tape

Espanyol	vs	Athletic Bilbao
14th	Position	9th
39	Points	44
38	Goals For	40
53	Goals Against	51
9	Clean Sheets	6
16th	Home / Away Rank	14th

*These figures were accurate at the time of publishing.

Espanyol suffered a 2-1 defeat against Sevilla on Saturday, despite taking the lead in the second half. The Catalan side have now failed to win their last 18 matches and are still without a victory in 2026.

The hosts were comfortably in fifth place at the start of the year, but they are now only two points above the relegation zone with three matches left to play.

Late bookings in Seville for Fernando Calero and Tyrhys Dolan over the weekend mean both defenders are suspended for this midweek skirmish due to accumulated yellow cards.

Desperate for points to stay afloat in La Liga, the hosts will be missing the services of Cyril Ngonge due to hamstring issues, while Carlos Romero will need further tests to confirm his availability.

On the other hand, Athletic Bilbao's disappointing 1-0 home defeat against Valencia over the weekend was their fourth loss in six games. The visitors have not been particularly impressive on the road, having lost four of their last five away games across all competitions.

Interestingly, the Basque giants have lost only one of their last seven trips to this stadium. They are five points behind sixth-placed Celta Vigo and could still secure a UEFA Europa League spot at the end of the season.

Nico Williams picked up a hamstring problem during the defeat to Valencia and now faces a race to be fit for Spain in the few remaining weeks before the commencement of the FIFA World Cup.

Additionally, three first-team players, including long-term absentee Benat Prados, Maroan Sannadi, and Unai Eguiluz, are all in the last phases of injury recovery, but at the time of writing, it remains to be seen whether any of these players could feature on Wednesday.

Espanyol vs Athletic Bilbao form guide & betting tips

Espanyol vs Athletic Bilbao — Last 5 Form Guide

Espanyol	vs	Athletic Bilbao
L L D L L	Form	L W L W L
1	Points	6
20th	Form Table	12th
2	Goals For	8
9	Goals Against	8
L L D L L	Form (All Comps)	L W L W L

Whispers Predicts: Espanyol 1-1 Athletic Bilbao

At 2.74, Espanyol are considered favourites by the bookmakers, despite their recent shortcomings.

Considering that the spoils were shared in five of the last seven encounters between these sides at this stadium, we fancy a draw at 3.34.

Moreover, three of the last four H2Hs at RCDE Stadium ended 1-1, and a similar result can be backed at 5.90.

We should also expect a feisty affair, as five or more cards were awarded in each of Espanyol's last five outings, four of Athletic Bilbao's last five fixtures, and in four of the last five H2Hs.

📈 Espanyol vs Athletic Bilbao — Whispers' Tips

> Under 2.5 total goals at 1.73 | Likelihood: Probable

> BTTS – Yes at 1.88 | Likelihood: Probable

> Match result: Draw at 3.34 | Likelihood: Possible

> Draw & BTTS – Yes at 4.40 | Likelihood: Possible

> Correct Score: 1-1 at 5.90 | Likelihood: Outsider

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