Which top defence will hold?

Curtain up for a very exciting game in La Liga. Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla FC are two very interesting teams that are difficult for their opponents to play against.

Before the direct duel between Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla, the odds show that neither team is clearly favoured. The bookmakers even see the Basques slightly ahead, even if Sevilla have some advantages on their side in terms of the table.

The focus in this match will be on the defensive lines, which are very stable for both clubs. The question is who will find the means to cause problems for their opponents. The match kicks off on Saturday evening at 9:00 p.m.

Athletic Bilbao – Statistics & current form

Athletic Bilbao can be reasonably happy with their season so far, although not too much has come together in recent weeks. The Basques are the draw kings in La Liga with nine draws and are not exactly synonymous with spectacle. 13 own goals in 16 games is not a good value, but it is still enough for ninth place in the table.

The reason for this is to be found in the defence. The hosts have conceded only eleven goals so far this season. That is the absolute top value, which Bilbao shares with the guests from Sevilla. Ahead of the match between Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla, the odds of the best bookmakers show that the hosts are even slight favourites. This is partly due to their home record.

The hosts have won three of their four games this season at home in the San Mames. The average points scored at home are also higher than away from home. That definitely speaks in favour of head coach Marcelino’s team. In addition, Athletic Bilbao lost only one of their matches against Real, Barcelona, Atletico and Real Sociedad.

The form curve is pointing downwards

Apart from the very good defence, however, there is not so much positive to report at the moment. The form curve of the Basques is pointing downwards. The last few weeks have not been easy. Athletic Bilbao failed to win six games in a row, five of which ended in draws.

This is especially annoying when looking at the opponents. Not winning against Espanyol, Cadiz, Levante or Getafe is not what this team is about. They must succeed in scoring more goals without neglecting their own defence. The fact that Inaki Williams is the team’s best scorer with three goals from 16 games speaks for itself.

The weak form of the last few weeks is a problem. Now it is also against a team that can control the already not exactly outstanding offence well. Therefore, before the Athletic Bilbao vs Sevilla match, our prediction is that the hosts will not win this game.

Predicted line-up of Athletic Bilbao:
Unai Simon – Lekue, Yeray, Martinez, Balenziaga – Vesga, Vencedor, Sancet, Berenguer, Munian – Inaki

Last matches played by Athletic Bilbao:

LaLiga
12/06 2021 – Getafe 0 – 0 Athletic Bilbao

12/01 2021 – Real Madrid 1 – 0 Athletic Bilbao

11/26 2021 – Athletic Bilbao 2 – 2 Granada

11/19 2021 – Levante 0 – 0 Athletic Bilbao

11/05 2021 – Athletic Bilbao 0 – 1 Cadiz

Sevilla – Statistics & current form

During the week, Sevilla FC fought for a place in the knockout rounds of the Champions League. However, the Andalusians lost 0:1 at RB Salzburg and thus have to settle for the Europa League. This is a setback for Sevilla, who are still in a good position in La Liga and are currently in second place.

The visitors’ strong defence has already been mentioned, and Sevilla are in no way inferior to Athletic Bilbao. In recent weeks, however, coach Julen Lopetegui’s team has lacked consistency, winning only one of four competitive matches. As already mentioned, there were defeats in Salzburg and against Real Madrid. The slip-up against Alaves was also unnecessary.

Sevilla’s goal this season is to qualify for the Champions League. The potential is there, but the team must gradually get back on track and take a step forward. There are still two games to play before the short winter break – against Athletic Bilbao and against Atletico Madrid.

Sevilla leaves too much to be desired away from home

At times, Sevilla were even in a very good position in the fight for the title. But currently they have let something slip, Real Madrid has worked out a good lead with efficiency. One factor for this is the away record. Here, Sevilla scored 1.5 points on average, at home it is 2.71.

The good defensive values can be underpinned by eight games to nil in the league. The Andalusians themselves only went without a goal twice, which is the big difference compared to Athletic Bilbao. 25 goals are not fantastic, but they are enough to win close games rather than draw them.

The bottom line is that there is much to suggest that there will be no spectacle. Less than 2.5 goals are quite realistic. Before the match between Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla, our tip is that the visitors will not lose.

Predicted Sevilla line-up:
Bono – Montiel, Koundé, Diego Carlos, Acuña – Fernando, Rakitic, Jordan – Papu Gomez, Munir, En-Nesyri

Last matches played by Sevilla:

Champions League Grp. G
12/08 2021 – Salzburg 1 – 0 Sevilla

LaLiga
12/04 2021 – Sevilla 1 – 0 Villarreal FC

Copa del Rey
12/01 2021 – Cordoba 0 – 1 Sevilla

LaLiga
11/28 2021 – Real Madrid 2 – 1 Sevilla

Champions League Grp. G
11/23 2021 – Sevilla 2 – 0 Vfl Wolfsburg

Athletic Bilbao – Sevilla Direct comparison / H2H record

After 162 direct duels, the two teams are almost level. The hosts have won 65 games, while Sevilla are on 67 wins and are just ahead. However, the Basques have gone unbeaten in three of their last four league games. Athletic even have a narrow advantage in goals scored, with 254:237.

Athletic Bilbao – Sevilla betting tips

When two such good defensive lines face each other, a spectacle is not to be expected. However, the game in San Mames can still be interesting. The suspense can be drawn mainly from how the hosts approach the game. Athletic must improve offensively, but must not lose their balance.

Sevilla is surely vowing to make amends after facing problems in Europe. The visitors also have the quality to take something to Bilbao. Therefore, ahead of Athletic Bilbao vs Sevilla, our tip at fair betting odds is that the visitors will not lose.