Betis – Athletic Bilbao, Picks and Tips
Betis is not going through the best period. The Andalusians are coming off a 2-1 Europa League defeat against Frankfurt, making it three defeats in their last five games in all competitions. In the league, the team has two consecutive defeats, 1-3 against Atletico Madrid and 1-2 in the city derby against Sevilla. It's clear that the current form is not good at all and as we said on other occasions, the weight will be felt in full for Pellegrini's team. After a good season, with results well above expectations, Betis will have to stay on top. Already the team has dropped to 5th, and coupled with the fact that Barca and Atletico are playing at a very high level, it will be quite hard for the Andalusians to occupy another top 4 spot. But that's not all. Other teams are coming hard from behind and they want to grab a European Cup spot, so the task will be a tough one in the last 11 rounds. For example, the gap to Bilbao, the 8th place team and this round's opponent, is only 6 points. The team has performed well at the Estadio Benito Villamarín, at least in the first part of the season. In the last 5 games on their home ground, the team has two wins and three losses. In this chapter they have also dropped quite a lot, with Betis in 9th place with 23 points gained. Will the hosts of the Betis - Athletic Bilbao encounter manage to get a positive result?
Athletico Bilbao is not in bad shape. The Basques are 8th in the standings and still hopeful of a European Cup place. In their last 5 league games, the Basque team has won three games, one of which was against a good league opponent, 4-0 against Sociedad. Marcelino's team has 40 points and a positive record. It's true, a small one, only +6, with 32 goals scored and 26 conceded. We can see that defence is the strong point of the Basque team. Bilbao's defence is one of the best in the league. For example, Bilbao has fewer goals conceded than Barcelona or Atletico Madrid and it is no coincidence that the Basques have had many games in the season with few goals. Marcelino's team is one of the teams with the most draws, with only Cadiz having more draws and Sevilla and Granada having 10 more games ended in draws. Bilbao are not bad in away matches. Of course, in the last few games away from home, the run hasn't been so good. The Basques have two defeats in a row, 0-4 at Camp Nou and 2-3 at Mallorca. Athletic's last away win was on 23 January, 1-0 away to Vallecano. Bilbao can close in on their opponents this round with a win, but the game at the Estadio Benito Villamarín will not be easy. Can the visitors break their away losing streak in the Betis-Athletic Bilbao clash?
Our recommendation tip for Betis – Athletic Bilbao: DRAW @ 3.30