Athletic Bilbao take on Eibar in La Liga on Friday evening, with the hosts looking for the win that would move them from 12th to 6th in the standings, albeit potentially only for 24 hours. However, with their opponents having been one of the surprise packages of the season in Spain so far, it promises to be a tough 90 minutes for both teams at the Sam Memes Stadium.
Spanish La Liga – Athletic Bilbao v Eibar – San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao – Friday 26th January 2018 – 20:00 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 12/5 at Ladbrokes |
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Athletic Bilbao
EibarMatch Preview
Athletic Bilbao and Eibar meet in the Spanish top-flight on Friday evening, with the hosts looking to extend their five-match unbeaten run over recent weeks. However, with their opponents having lost just once in the same number of matches, it promises to be a tight affair in Bilbao. Managers José Ángel Ziganda and José Luis Mendilibar will go head-to-head at the San Mames Stadium, with the duo both looking to gain a tactical advantage for their side. For those who still need some help in making their picks, be sure to check out our top betting tip below. However, let’s first take a closer look at the two teams, starting with the home side.
Athletic Bilbao Team News & Form
Bilbao come into this fixture off the back of successive away draws with Getafe and Espanyol, having previously recorded comfortable victories over Real Betis and Alaves. Manager Ziganda will be looking for his side to return to winning ways on Friday evening, with three points for the hosts moving them up to 6th in the La Liga table. The likes of Iker Munain, Aymeric Laporte and Inaki Williams help to bring both youth and skill to the Bilbao line-up, while striker Aritz Aduriz has seven La Liga goals to his name so far this season.
Eibar Team News & Form
Eibar sit it 8th position in the table despite having failed to win in their last two outings, which include a 1-1 draw with Malaga in front of their home fans. Despite having a -7 goal difference from their 20 matches so far this season, Eibar have demonstrated throughout the campaign that they are capable of beating anyone on their day. The likes of Takashi Inui, Ruben Pena and former Manchester United man Bebe are among their biggest attacking threats.
Head to Head
The two teams have nine times in the past, with Athletic Bilbao having won five of such matches, whilst drawing three times in the process. The hosts have also won the last two meetings between the two teams, including a 1-0 success back in August.
Athletic Bilbao v Eibar – Betting Odds and Predictions
Despite their standing in the table, their status as the home team means that it comes as little surprise that it Athletic Bilbao who are the narrow favourites for victory with the majority of bookmakers. The home side can be backed at odds of 5/6 with Ladbrokes, however for those looking to back an away win for Eibar, odds of 18/5 can be found with Skybet.
Top Betting Tip Athletic Bilbao v Eibar
However, our top betting tip for the match is to bet on Athletic Bilbao keeping a clean sheet on Friday morning, which is available at odds of 6/5 with Ladbrokes.