Betis vs Athletic Bilbao: Who will extend their unbeaten run in La Liga?
On Sunday, August 31, the third round of the Spanish championship kicks off as Betis hosts Athletic Bilbao. The match is scheduled to start at 19:00 CET. Here’s my betting tip for this fixture.
Betis vs Athletic Bilbao: match preview
Betis have already played more matches this season than most of their rivals—three in total. In the opening round, the team drew 1-1 with Elche, then edged out Alaves 1-0, and in their third game, shared the spoils again with Celta in a 1-1 draw. The Seville side have five points, sitting seventh with a goal difference of 3:2. However, it’s important to note that several teams have games in hand, so Betis could slip down the table.
Athletic Bilbao played seven friendlies during the off-season but managed to win only one. Still, fans were delighted by the news that winger Nico Williams signed a new ten-year contract with the club. Despite a disappointing pre-season, the Basques got off to a flying start in La Liga. In the first round, they beat Sevilla 3-2 at home, then narrowly edged Rayo Vallecano 1-0 on their own turf in the second. Athletic now boasts six points and a top-four spot after two rounds.
Match facts and H2H
- Betis have won only one of their last five matches: two draws and two defeats.
- Athletic have two consecutive wins, but prior to that, they suffered six straight losses.
- Betis have scored at least once in 27 consecutive matches.
- The last two head-to-head encounters ended in draws—2-2 and 1-1.
Probable line-ups
- Betis: Alvaro Valles, Rodriguez, Bartra, Bellerin, Nathan, Aitor Ruibal, Sergi Altimira, Pablo Fornals, Lo Celso, Riquelme, Hernandez.
- Athletic Bilbao: Unai Simon, Yuri, Jesus Areso, Aitor Paredes, Dani Vivian, Alex Berenguer, Ruiz de Galarreta, Jaureguizar, Inaki Williams, Nico Williams, Sannadi.
Prediction
Both teams have started the season fairly confidently, although Athletic Bilbao’s start has been more convincing. This clash promises to be tense and intriguing. My tip: both teams to score, odds 1.87.
