Athletic Club are back in domestic action on Sunday at San Mames. Our Athletic Club vs Rayo Vallecano prediction and La Liga betting tips consider whether they can see off Inigo Perez’s side.
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Athletic Club vs Rayo Vallecano prediction: Hosts to edge tight game
Key stats
- Our Athletic Club vs Rayo Vallecano betting tips take into account that every single Rayo away game in La Liga this term has produced under 3.5 goals.
- It’s just one defeat in 33 home league matches for Athletic heading into this.
- Rayo have only won one of their last seven in the league, losing four.
Correct score prediction: Athletic Club 1-0 Rayo Vallecano
After a dreadful performance last time out, Perez will want a strong response from his Rayo side, but this is about as tough as it gets in La Liga, certainly outside of the top three.
The visitors can take some belief from Athletic’s unimpressive record following European games this term, but with only one player missing, Ernesto Valverde should be able to rotate and still find a way to win this.
Pre-game odds and win probability: Athletic the odds-on favourites
- HOME: 8/11 (1.73) – 57.9%
- DRAW: 5/2 (3.50) – 28.6%
- AWAY: 4/1 (5.00) – 20.0%
*odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
The hosts are the favourites according to the Athletic Club vs Rayo Vallecano odds, with an implied probability of 57.9% that they win this match.
They were in Europa League action at Ibrox on Thursday, but could only draw the first-leg of their quarter-final against Rangers 0-0, despite having a man advantage for virtually the whole game.
As for Rayo, they were hammered 4-0 at home by lowly Espanyol last time out, comfortably the worst result of their season to date.
For more from the upcoming matches in Spain and beyond, today’s free football tips look at some of the best picks.
Most recent H2Hs: Los Leones the dominant force
Our Athletic Club vs Rayo Vallecano prediction suggests this will go the way of the side from the Basque Country, and they have won five of the last six meetings.
Their home record is even better in this fixture, with Rayo losing on six of their last seven trips to Bilbao.
Spain La Liga 01/12/24
Rayo Vallecano
Athletic Bilbao
Spain La Liga 25/05/24
Rayo Vallecano
Athletic Bilbao
Spain La Liga 02/12/23
Athletic Bilbao
Rayo Vallecano
Spain La Liga 05/03/23
Rayo Vallecano
Athletic Bilbao
Spain La Liga 17/09/22
Athletic Bilbao
Rayo Vallecano
Athletic Club preview: Major rotation expected
We should see a very different starting lineup to the side that played in Glasgow. Yuri is the only injury absentee.
Predicted Lineup: Simon (GK), Boiro, Paredes, Vivian, Gorosabel, Prados, Ruiz de Galarreta, Berenguer, U. Gomez, I. Williams & Guruzeta
Spain La Liga 13/04/25 W Rayo Vallecano 1 Athletic Bilbao 3 UEFA Europa League 10/04/25 D Rangers 0 Athletic Bilbao 0 Spain La Liga 06/04/25 D Villarreal 0 Athletic Bilbao 0 Spain La Liga 30/03/25 D Osasuna 0 Athletic Bilbao 0 Spain La Liga 16/03/25 W Sevilla 0 Athletic Bilbao 1
Rayo Vallecano preview: Perez to plug the gaps at the back?
The visitors could make at least one change in defence after the Espanyol horror show. They are missing Sergio Camello and Abdul Mumin to injuries.
Predicted Lineup: Batalla (GK), Chavarria, P. Fernandez, Lejeune, Ratiu, Ciss, Diaz, A. Garcia, Isi Palazon, De Frutos & Nteka
Spain La Liga 13/04/25 L Athletic Bilbao 3 Rayo Vallecano 1 Spain La Liga 04/04/25 L Espanyol 4 Rayo Vallecano 0 Spain La Liga 29/03/25 W CD Alaves 0 Rayo Vallecano 2 Spain La Liga 16/03/25 D Real Sociedad 2 Rayo Vallecano 2 Spain La Liga 09/03/25 L Real Madrid 2 Rayo Vallecano 1 
Player to watch – Alex Berenguer
One of the players who should rotate in is Alex Berenguer. He came off the bench to have a goal ruled out by VAR at Ibrox, and he then missed the subsequent penalty after play was brought back for a handball.
Berenguer offering a real threat
The 29-year-old has good numbers with five goals and seven assists in La Liga this term, despite not being a guaranteed starter. He averages 1.5 shots and 1.3 key passes per game.