The Matchday 4 La Liga clash between Athletic and Alaves will take place on September 13 at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao. Athletic vs. Alaves: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Athletic
The Basques finished last season strongly and have started the new one just as well. After three opening rounds, they have 9 points and, along with Real Madrid, lead the La Liga standings. To recap, the club first defeated Sevilla (3-2) and Rayo Vallecano (1-0) at home, and in the last match, they overcame a tough Betis side with a 2-1 victory. Notably, in their last 9 league matches, only Barcelona managed to defeat the Basques (7 wins and 1 draw).
Defender Aymeric Laporte has transferred to Al-Nasr.
- At least one team failed to score in 8 of Athletic's last 10 La Liga games.
- No more than two goals were scored in 7 of the Basques' last 10 league matches.
- The club has not lost in 17 of their last 18 home games in La Liga (12 wins and 5 draws).
Predicted lineup for Athletic (4-3-3)
Unai Simon – Yuri Berchiche, Dani Vivian, Jesus Areso, Aitor Paredes – Benat Prados, Mikel Jauregi, Oihan Sancet – Nico Williams, Alex Berenguer, Inaki Williams.
Head coach Ernesto Valverde will miss 4 matches due to disrespectful conduct towards the referee. Goalkeeper Alex Padilla will miss the next 3 matches due to suspension. Defender Yeray Alvarez is suspended for 10 months due to doping. Forward Nico Williams is out for 6 weeks due to injury.
Alaves
Eduardo Coudet's side is playing in their usual rhythm. The team lost away to Betis (0-1), defeated Levante at home (2-1), and drew with Atletico (1-1) in the last round. With 4 points, the club is positioned in the middle of the standings. Additionally, the defeat to Sevilla is their only loss in the last 6 La Liga matches (3 wins and 2 draws).
- No more than two goals were scored in 12 of Alaves' last 13 league games.
- The Basques have not lost in 6 of their last 8 away La Liga matches (2 wins and 4 draws).
- The team has conceded in 20 of their last 22 away league matches.
Predicted lineup for Alaves (4-4-2)
Antonio Sivera – Facundo Garces, Jonny, Nahuel Tenaglia, Moussa Diarra – Antonio Blanco, Jon Guridi, Pablo Ibanez, Carles Alena – Toni Martinez, Carlos Vicente.
Athletic vs. Alaves: Match Prediction
In the Basque derby, I favor the hosts. The club from Bilbao is in excellent form, having made one of their best starts in La Liga in the 21st century and showing no signs of slowing down. Athletic is incredibly strong at home, winning 5 of their last 6 home league matches, losing only to last season's La Liga champions.
Meanwhile, Alaves struggles away from home. In their last 18 away matches, they've managed only 3 wins. The visitors also have issues with converting chances, which has been evident in head-to-head encounters. In the last 7 La Liga meetings, Alaves has scored just 1 goal against Athletic, while the Bilbao club has won 4 of these matches and drawn 3. Notably, at San Mames, the hosts have kept a clean sheet in the last three head-to-head league encounters.
My prediction: Athletic Win
