Rayo Vallecano vs Athletic Bilbao: Can Athletic extend their winning streak?
The eighth round of the Spanish La Liga brings us a clash between Rayo Vallecano and Athletic Bilbao. The match will take place on Saturday, October 10, with kick-off scheduled for 14:00 CET, and I have a betting tip for this fixture.
Rayo Vallecano vs Athletic Bilbao: Match facts and H2H
- Rayo Vallecano have lost one of their last four matches.
- Rayo Vallecano have scored in seven consecutive matches.
- Rayo Vallecano have been unbeaten in their last 10 home matches.
- Athletic Bilbao are unbeaten in five consecutive matches.
- Athletic Bilbao have won their last two away matches.
- Athletic have suffered three goalless defeats in their last 10 matches.
- Athletic Bilbao have conceded just six goals, making them the team with the best defensive record in La Liga.
- Rayo Vallecano have recorded one win and one goalless defeat in their last 10 matches.
- Rayo Vallecano have conceded 16 goals, giving them the second-worst defensive record in the league.
- Athletic Bilbao and Rayo Vallecano drew 1-1 in their most recent head-to-head meeting.
Rayo Vallecano vs Athletic Bilbao: Match preview
Rayo Vallecano have made a rather mediocre start to the new La Liga season. The team have collected eight points from seven rounds, recording two wins, two draws and three defeats. They currently sit 12th in the table with a goal difference of 11:16. They have the second-worst defensive record in the league, so they clearly need to tighten things up at the back if they want to have a chance of challenging for European qualification.
Athletic Bilbao began the new season with two defeats, first losing 3-1 to Sevilla and then 2-0 to Barcelona. However, the Basque side subsequently turned things around, improving their performances and results. They defeated Celta Vigo 2-0 and Atlético Madrid 3-0. In their two most recent matches, the team have played out draws. Athletic currently have eight points, a goal difference of 7:6 and sit 10th in the table. If Athletic want to challenge for European qualification, they will need to extend their positive run.
Probable line-ups
- Rayo Vallecano: Audero, Lejeune, Raţiu, Adrià Pedrosa, Mujaid Sadick, Óscar Valentín, Unai López, Ciss, Camello, Álvaro García, De Frutos
- Athletic Bilbao: Unai Simón, Yuri, Laporte, Louis-Jean, Paredes, Jauregizar, Sancet, Navarro, Berenguer, Ruiz de Galarreta, Sannadi
Prediction
Athletic Bilbao will be playing away from home, but I believe they can extend their positive run. My betting tip is for Athletic Bilbao to avoid defeat in this match. The odds for this outcome are 1.47.
