Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
One of the matches of La Liga's 37th round will take place on Sunday at the Mestalla, where the local side Valencia hosts Athletic Bilbao. I'm offering a bet on the outcome of this clash with an appealing set of odds.
Match preview
In the previous round, Valencia suffered a surprising setback, losing away to Alaves 0-1—a defeat that dealt a heavy blow to the team's ambitions. Before that, Carlos Corberán's squad had put together an impressive 10-match unbeaten run in La Liga, collecting six wins and four draws along the way. This disappointing result has virtually dashed their hopes of qualifying for European competitions—the gap to the top 8 is now three points. Moreover, their 10-game scoring streak in the league also came to an end.
Nevertheless, Valencia remain strong at home—the team has won seven of their last nine matches at Mestalla. Valencia have shown consistent results on their turf, losing just once in their past nine La Liga home games, with that sole defeat coming against Atletico Madrid. Backed by their passionate fans, the hosts remain a formidable force and can challenge any opponent, regardless of their position or motivation in the standings.
Athletic have already answered the season's main question—Ernesto Valverde's side officially secured Champions League qualification after a confident 2-0 win over Getafe last round. The Basques are in excellent form: they haven't lost or conceded in four consecutive La Liga matches. The intrigue remains, however—Athletic could finish as high as third (just three points behind Atletico Madrid), or drop to fifth if they slip and let Villarreal catch up.
The team is finishing the season strongly—only one defeat in their last ten matches, with five wins and four draws. Athletic look focused, confidently controlling games, and will surely want to wrap up one of their best seasons in the past decade in style.
Probable lineups
- Valencia: Giorgi Mamardashvili – César Tárrega, José Luis Gayà, Dimitri Foulquier, Cristhian Mosquera – Javi Guerra, Pepelu, André Almeida – Diego López, Hugo Duro, Luis Rioja
- Athletic Bilbao: Unai Simón – Yuri Berchiche, Dani Vivian, Yeray Álvarez, Andoni Gorosabel – Mikel Jauregizar, Unai Gómez, Mikel Vesga – Gorka Guruzeta, Maroan Sannadi, Álex Berenguer
Match facts and head-to-head
- In the first half of the season, Athletic defeated their opponent 1-0
- The "Over 2.5 goals" bet has landed in three of the last five meetings
- Both teams to score has also landed in three of the last five matches
Prediction
The bookmakers slightly favor the home side in this matchup, offering odds of around 2.32 for a Valencia win. Valencia have a clear advantage in head-to-heads at Mestalla—unbeaten in six of their last eight home matches against this opponent, with four wins and two draws. The recommended pick: "Valencia to win with a (0) handicap" at odds of 1.65.
