Two teams on equal terms want to reach the semi-finals
The Copa del Rey is slowly but surely entering the home stretch. Only eight teams can still hope to win the Spanish Cup. We take a look at the clash between Valencia and Athletic Bilbao, in which the predictions of the most popular betting providers see slight advantages for the guests from the Basque country. Both teams have won the Cup a few times in their long history.
The hosts last lifted the title in 2019. It was the last major success for the Blanquinegros, who haven’t had too much going for them since the long winter break. The only successes have come in the Copa, while not much has worked out in the league. That’s why we now have to look down the table to the lower regions. The forecast for Thursday is not good either. In the Valencia vs. Athletic Bilbao tip on the hosts, a reward awaits with odds of 2.80 at the top.
But not everything is going well for the visitors either. The last victory in the league was celebrated last year and so the lions have meanwhile slipped out of the international places. We will find out which of the two teams will succeed in recharging their batteries for the league on Thursday at 20:00 when the Estadio de Mestalla kicks off.
Valencia – Statistics & current form
Valencia FC is a team that has always stabilised around tenth place in recent years. The relegation battle was rarely an issue and also the jump into the international starting positions did not succeed. This season, too, the black and whites have been in no-man’s land in the league so far. But the last series of winless games has brought the relegation zone closer.
The Blanquinegros have played seventeen games so far and have picked up 20 points. Five wins and five draws are currently on the books. This currently means twelfth place in the table. They are only three points clear of the first relegation spot. Los Ches, on the other hand, are already eight points behind sixth place, which would entitle them to participate in the Conference League.
Valencia are without a win in three games
The home side manoeuvred themselves into this volatile situation through a run of winless games. They have not won a league match since the World Cup. They lost at Villarreal (1:2) and against Cadiz (0:1). Last weekend, they only managed a 2-2 draw against Almeria, failing to hold on to a two-goal lead.
The hosts, on the other hand, were more successful in the cup competition. With clear victories over Nucia (3:0) and the second division team Sporting Gijon (4:0), the black and whites advanced to the quarter finals. Here, odds of 2.80 are offered for bets on the home side in the clash between Valencia and Athletic Bilbao.
Valencia rely on goals from Cavani
The strength of head coach Gennaro Gattuso’s side lies in the attacking prowess of striker Edinson Cavani, who has already netted five times. With a total of 25 goals, Valencia have scored the sixth most goals so far. The picture painted by the defence, on the other hand, is only average. Keeper Mamardashvili has had to fish the ball out of his own net 20 times. This is tenth place in the ranking of these statistics.
At home, the Black and Whites have also shown some weaknesses in recent weeks. Only one of the last six league games in front of their own fans was won. The last home win against Bilbao was almost exactly a year ago. In the Copa del Rey semi-final, the hosts won 1-0. A good omen for the upcoming match?
Predicted line-up of Valencia:
Mamardashvili – Gaya, Özkacar, Gabriel Paulista, Foulquier – Kluivert, Almeida, Musah, Lato – Cavani, Dias Lino
Last matches played by Valencia:
La Liga
24/01/2023 – Valencia 2 – 2 Almeria
Copa del Rey
19/01/2023 – Sporting Gijon 0 – 4 Valencia
Super Cup
12/01/2023 – Real Madrid (4)1 – 1(3) Valencia
La Liga
07/01/2023 – Valencia 0 – 1 Cadiz
Copa del Rey
04/01/2023 – La Nucia 0 – 3 Valencia
Athletic Bilbao – Statistics & current form
Last year, the Basques narrowly failed to qualify for an international competition, finishing eighth and four points behind Villarreal. This season, Athletic Bilbao were well in the running for a long time, but the visitors seem to be squandering their good starting position.
After 18 games, the Red and Whites have 26 points on their account. Seven wins and five draws have been achieved so far. The Lions are now two points behind Real Betis, who are in eighth place in the Conference League. So the international business is still within reach.
Bilbao in four-game drought
The eight-time champions squandered a better starting position with a run of four games without a win. Only two goalless draws in Sevilla and against Osasuna were achieved. They lost at Real Sociedad (1:3) and against the royals from Madrid (0:2).
Head coach Ernesto Valverde’s team, like their upcoming opponents in the quarter-finals, achieved their successes with victories in the Copa del Rey. After outclassing Eldense 6-1 in the first round, the Basques won the first-leg clash with Espanyol Barcelona 1-0 in the last round. Between Valencia and Athletic Bilbao, the odds of 1.91 for a progression point to a completely open game.
Athletic with problem away from home
Like the Black and Whites, the Lions have scored 25 goals in the league so far. Inaki Williams and Gorka Guruzeta have each scored five times so far. The two rivals are also almost equal when it comes to goals conceded. With nineteen goals, Bilbao have conceded only one less than Valencia.
On their opponents’ pitch, the Basques have not been able to pull up any trees so far. The Red and Whites have not won a game away from home in six matches. Only twice have they scored the full number of points away from home, which only means eleventh place in this statistic. Does the away weakness mean the Copa trip ends this Thursday?
Predicted line-up of Athletic Bilbao:
Agirrezabala – Berchiche, Paredes, Vivian, de Marcos – Zarraga, Vesga – Berenguer, Sancet, Williams – Williams
Last matches played by Athletic Bilbao:
La Liga
23/01/2023 – Athletic Bilbao 0 – 2 Real Madrid
Copa del Rey
19/01/2023 – Athletic Bilbao 1 – 0 Espanyol
La Liga
15/01/2023 – Real Sociedad 3 – 1 Athletic Bilbao
10/01/2023 – Athletic Bilbao 0 – 0 Osasuna Pamplona
Copa del Rey
06/01/2023 – Eldense 1 – 6 Athletic Bilbao
Valencia – Athletic Bilbao Direct comparison / H2H balance
This clash has only taken place twice in the Copa del Rey so far, but the two veterans of Spanish football have met 179 times in total. The overall balance is almost even. The home side have won 69 times and the Lions 64. In the upcoming clash between Valencia and Athletic Bilbao, the bookmakers’ predictions see slight advantages for the visitors.
In the first leg of the current season, the Red and Whites won 1-0 at home, with Berenguer scoring the goal of the day just before the break. Otherwise, the teams have rarely been able to agree on a winner in recent matches. Five of the last seven games ended in a draw. Only in one of the last twelve matches did these two teams score more than 2.5 goals.
Valencia – Athletic Bilbao Tip
We expect an exciting duel in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey. Valencia and Bilbao are two teams that are currently struggling in the league. Both are looking back on a series of winless games, with that of the visitors lasting one game longer. However, this is not the only reason why we see the two teams on an equal footing.
Both the Lions and the hosts have scored 25 goals in the league so far. In terms of goals conceded, both are almost on a par with 19 and 20 respectively. Five of the last seven duels have ended in a draw. Therefore, everything points to a close decision in which it will come down to the smallest details.
Home advantage may tip the scales in this clash. In the last few away games, the visitors have not managed to score three points. The recent 1-1 draw against Real Madrid in the Supercup also speaks in favour of the home side in our opinion. Therefore, our recommendation for Valencia vs. Athletic Bilbao betting is: The hosts will go through!
