No winner in the Basque derby?
The “Derbi Vasco” in the Basque Country is coming up! Which Real Sociedad vs. Athletic Bilbao tip looks promising? The visitors will definitely be more tired than their opponents, as they already had a tough Europa League match against Manchester United this week. However, they suffered a bitter 0-3 home defeat in the first leg of the semi-final, which means that next week’s return leg will be a mammoth task.
In contrast, the home side have not been in good form recently. They have been waiting for a win for three games and have only scored once in those matches, in a 2-2 draw with Villarreal. The prediction for the upcoming Basque derby between Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao is a draw.
Real Sociedad vs. Athletic Bilbao prediction AI
BETSiE sees value in the odds for the visitors in the Basque derby. According to the AI, Bilbao has a 36.3 percent chance of winning, which tops the odds of 3.30 (30.3 percent) offered by Bet365 for the visiting “Lions.” Based on this analysis, the Real Sociedad vs. Athletic Bilbao AI prediction is an away win.
Real Sociedad – Statistics & current form
Real made an important coaching decision a few days ago. Coach Imano Alguacil and the club will part ways after this season. The coach had been in the job since 2018 and was quite successful. He led Sociedad to victory in the Copa del Rey in 2020 and guided the team to the Champions League for three years.
Now, however, this era is coming to an end, and one reason is certainly that the Basques have had a mixed season. The home side are currently in ninth place. With this position, however, they still have their sights set on a place in international competition.
In attack, last season’s sixth-placed team still have at least one striker who is on target, in Mikel Oyarzabal. The 28-year-old has scored in four of his last six competitive games for Sociedad and previously scored twice for Spain in the Nations League quarter-finals against the Netherlands.
Will Oyarzabal strike again for Real Sociedad?
Given his current form, the odds on his next goal in the match between Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao are also worth considering. You can place your bets at Bet365, where the bookmaker is also offering a fair Bet365 bonus for new customers!
Athletic Bilbao – Statistics & current form
The fifth-placed team in the last edition of La Liga has been very strong defensively in away games in the league for some time now. Coach Ernesto Valverde’s side has conceded just three goals in its last five away games.
However, the defense of the eight-time national champions often falters after Europa League matches. In eight of the twelve league games that followed an EL match, both sides scored, and half of those games ended in a 1-1 draw!
In addition, the visitors start their away games in a very controlled manner. Twelve of their 16 away games ended in a draw at half-time – no other team in the Spanish top flight has such a high number of away draws at half-time.
Another draw at half-time?
In light of these statistics, the betting odds for a draw at half-time and at the final whistle are worth considering in the clash between Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao. Betano offers odds and the bookmaker also accepts Paysafecard for sports betting as one of its payment methods!
In addition to their successful season in the Europa League so far, the players from San Mames can also be satisfied with their performance in the top flight of Spanish football. Bilbao are currently in fourth place and have almost secured qualification for the next edition of the Champions League. The 24-time Copa del Rey winners are eight points ahead of the sixth-placed team!
Real Sociedad – Athletic Bilbao Head-to-head record / H2H record
The last direct encounter between the two Basque clubs took place in November last year and ended in a 1-0 home win for the “Leones” at San Mames. It was Bilbao’s second consecutive victory in the Basque derby.
In contrast, however, “Erreala” has a strong home record against Athletic in front of their own fans. The hosts have not lost in seven games on their own turf in this fixture and have only failed to win twice. For the next edition of Real Sociedad vs. Athletic Bilbao, the odds are once again slightly in favor of a home win.
Real Sociedad – Athletic Bilbao Tip
For the “Euskal Derbia” between Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao, a draw seems like a good bet. The visitors are stronger than their opponents, but they will be more tired due to an additional game in the Europa League this week.
On top of that, Bilbao’s next match in the competition is the return leg against Manchester United next week. This means that Athletic will have to conserve their energy, and the visitors could also be happy with a draw from a league perspective, as they already have a big lead over their pursuers in the race for Champions League qualification.
Furthermore, draws in league play after a Europa League match have been a frequent occurrence for Bilbao this season. Of the twelve games played after a Europa League match, more than half (7) ended in a draw for the visitors. This gives additional support to the Real Sociedad vs. Athletic Bilbao prediction!
