Do the Pirates take the momentum from Camp Nou with them?
On Easter Monday, Cádiz celebrated a spectacular 1-0 away win at FC Barcelona, with which the kickers from the Andalusian port city climbed back above the line and celebrated an important three points in the relegation battle. The aim now is to build on this triumph at home against the Leones, who have won just one of their last five league games.
Since the Basques failed to reach the Copa del Rey semi-finals, the air has visibly gone out of the 2021/22 season. In La Liga, the Leones are solidly in eighth place. However, with a seven-point gap to seventh place, an attack on Europe is no longer possible. Nevertheless, in the run-up to the clash between Cadiz and Athletic Bilbao, the odds are swinging in favour of the visitors.
However, the Basques arrive with a poor away record. The Leones have won just two of their last 14 away matches and have scored no more than one goal of their own in 18 of their last 20 away games. So if the Andalusians can carry the momentum from the away win at Camp Nou, they could well build on that.
Cadiz – Statistics & current form
Cadiz Club de Fútbol returned to the top flight of Spanish football in the summer of 2020 after a 14-year absence. After successfully finishing the first season after promotion in twelfth place, the club from the Andalusian port city is now threatened with relegation.
With six games left to play, they are only two points clear of the first relegation spot. The pressure is on coach Sergio, who took over from Alvaro Cervera at the beginning of the year.
Only two defeats in the last nine league games
The Andalusians, who had already sniffed at a surprise against Real Betis in their last home game but were unable to hold on to their 1-0 lead (final score: 1-2), scored a real coup on Easter Monday. Cádiz won 1:0 away at FC Barcelona.
This makes the Pirates’ most recent record in particular very strong. They have only lost two of their last nine league games (three wins, four draws), which means that with 13 points out of a possible 27, they now have a valid chance of staying in the league.
Won three of the last five league games against Bilbao
However, the Andalusians still have a tough remaining schedule ahead of them, with games against Sevilla, Real Madrid and Real Sociedad among others. Another win against the Leones, who are not in the best of form at the moment, would be all the more valuable.
Looking at Cadiz’s recent record against Athletic Bilbao, the odds on a home win for the Pirates are also quite good. Not only did the yellow and blue team win the first leg 1-0 on 5 November 2021, but the team from the Andalusian port city has won three of the last five league games against the Basques.
Predicted line-up of Cadiz:
Ledesma – Espino – Fali – Hernández – Parra – Jönsson – Mari – Salvi – Fernández – Sobrino – Pérez
Last matches played by Cadiz:
La Liga
19/04/2022 – FC Barcelona 0 – 1 Cadiz
09/04/2022 – Cadiz 1 – 2 Real Betis
03/04/2022 – Valencia 0 – 0 Cadiz
20/03/2022 – Cadiz 1 – 0 FC Villarreal
12/03/2022 – Atletico Madrid 2 – 1 Cadiz
Athletic Bilbao – Statistics & current form
The Athletic club already experienced several disillusionments in the 2020/21 season. First, the Leones lost the final of the Copa del Rey 2020, which had been postponed by a good ten months. Then they also failed to reach the final of the Copa del Rey 2021 again. And finally, they only ended up in a sobering tenth place in the final table in La Liga.
Accordingly, everyone involved had set their sights high for the new season, in which things only went well in the Copa del Rey. There, the Basques once again stormed into the semi-finals, but then lost to Valencia after a first leg and a second leg.
Only one win in last five league games
Jene’s failure to win again in the competition, which Bilbao have won 23 times, noticeably pulled the plug on the team recently. The Leones have won only one of their last five league games (two draws, two defeats) – a narrow 2-1 home victory over Elche.
Marcelino’s team travels to Andalusia in a correspondingly battered state. Also because there is not much at stake and seventh place in the table, which could possibly be enough for the Conference League, is already seven points away, the unconditional will is likely to be lacking.
The third fewest away goals in La Liga
Even overall, the Leones do not come to Andalusia with the best away record. Only two of the last 14 away games in La Liga have been won by the Athletic Club
Even the away goal is anything but a given, though. After all, the Leones scored just eleven goals in 16 away games. Only Getafe (eight) and Rayo Vallecano (ten) were even more harmless away from home.
Predicted line-up of Athletic Bilbao:
Simón – Berchiche – Álvarez – Vivian – Petxa – Muniain – Vencedor – Vesga – Berenguer – I. Williams – Sancet
Last matches played by Athletic Bilbao:
La Liga
17/04/2022 – Athletic Bilbao 0 – 2 Celta Vigo
09/04/2022 – FC Villarreal 1 – 1 Athletic Bilbao
03/04/2022 – Athletic Bilbao 2 – 1 Elche
19/03/2022 – Athletic Bilbao 1 – 1 Getafe
13/03/2022 – Real Betis 1 – 0 Athletic Bilbao
Cadiz – Athletic Bilbao Direct comparison / H2H record
Head to head: 8 – 6 – 15
There have been a total of 29 meetings between the two teams and the Basques lead the head-to-head comparison with 15 wins. Most recently, however, Cadiz not only won the first leg (1-0), but also won three of the last five meetings.
Cadiz – Athletic Bilbao tip
For Cadiz against Athletic Bilbao, the prediction has to take into account that the home side is still struggling to stay in the league, while the Basques are out of steam at the latest with their elimination in the Copa del Rey semi-finals. Europe is no longer too likely. Accordingly, the necessary motivation has been lacking lately. This was evident, among other things, in the anaemic performance at the weekend, when a home game was lost 0:2 against Celta Vigo.
With the Pirates’ chest being very broad after the 1-0 away win at FC Barcelona, all the prerequisites are actually fulfilled to try it with a profitable underdog bet.
