Athletic Bilbao vs Real Betis Predictions

• Athletic Bilbao have won four of their last five at home
• Real Betis have managed just one away league win in five attempts this season
• Both those defeats have come to teams who start this round in the top half

Bilbao looking to build a gap

Both Athletic Bilbao and Real Betis enter this game having accumulated 18 of a possible 33 points so far this season, meaning they are well in the hunt for European qualification.

The hosts have been particularly strong at home, where they have won four of their last five games across all competitions, including comfortable successes against Espanyol (4-1) and Celta Vigo (3-1).

Indeed, Atletico Madrid are the only visiting team to come out on tome at San Mames since August 2023, while Ernesto Valverde’s side have also lost just once in ten fixtures at all venues.

Real Betis struggling on the road

Their visitors, on the other hand, may have beaten Osasuna 2-1 in their last away game, but that ended a run of six without success on their travels in the league.

It has been a bugbear for Manuel Pellegrini’s side, who have been beaten in three of their last half a dozen away trips across all competitions, losing to Real Madrid (2-0), Legia Warsaw (1-0) and Sevilla (1-0).

That shows the problems they are having in the final third, and in fact netted only a dozen times in 11 league outings when accounting for home and away fixtures.

I predict that Athletic Bilbao will win this game, with 2-0 to the hosts my correct score prediction.