Matchday 6 of La Liga between Athletic and Girona will take place on September 23 at the San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao. Athletic vs. Girona: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Athletic
The team began the current league season with three consecutive victories, but then experienced a downturn, resulting in losses to Alaves and Valencia. In both defeats, Athletic failed to score, dropping from 2nd to 7th place in the standings. Notably, the Basque side's uncompromising streak in La Liga has reached nine matches (6 wins, 3 losses).
- Athletic has scored in 15 of their last 19 home matches in La Liga.
- No more than 2 goals have been scored in 14 of the team's last 18 league games.
- The Basques have not lost in 17 of their last 19 home matches in La Liga (12 wins, 5 draws).
Predicted lineup for Athletic (4-2-3-1)
Unai Simón – Yuri Berchiche, Daniel Vivian, Jesús Areso, Aitor Paredes – Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta, Mikel Jauregi – Oihan Sancet, Robert Navarro, Alex Berenguer – Iñaki Williams.
Goalkeeper Alex Padilla and defender Daniel Vivian will miss the match due to suspension. For the same reason, head coach Ernesto Valverde will not be able to manage the team from the sidelines. Defender Yeray Álvarez is banned for 10 months for doping. Forward Nico Williams is sidelined for up to six weeks due to injury.
Girona
The Catalans remain one of the few teams yet to secure a victory in this season's La Liga. Over five rounds, the club has earned only one point, placing Girona at the bottom of the table. Their defensive play has been particularly weak, conceding a total of 15 goals in La Liga, the worst in the tournament. Additionally, the club's winless streak in La Liga now stands at seven matches (1 draw, 6 losses).
- Girona has conceded in their last seven league matches.
- In the current La Liga season, the Catalans have scored a total of 2 goals – only Oviedo has fewer (1).
- At least 4 goals have been scored in 5 of Girona's last 7 league games.
Predicted lineup for Girona (4-5-1)
Paulo Gazzaniga – Alex Moreno, Vitor Reis, Arnau Martínez, Daley Blind – Axel Witsel, Iván Martín, Joel Roca, Azzedine Ounahi, Yaser Asprilla – Vladyslav Vanat.
Key defender Vitor Reis and midfielder Axel Witsel are suspended. Another midfielder, Viktor Tsygankov, is recovering from an injury.
Match Prediction for Athletic vs. Girona
Girona is undoubtedly the worst team in the league after the first five rounds, as even head coach Michel admitted. However, amidst the gloom, it's worth noting that the Catalans often perform better away from home. While there are occasional collapses, the team has not lost by more than one goal in 5 of their last 6 away La Liga matches. In head-to-head encounters with Athletic, Girona has not lost in 4 of the last 6 games in La Liga (3 wins, 1 draw), and in 8 of the last 9 matches in this tournament, the Catalans have won with a handicap (+1.5).
Athletic did not drop points in the first three rounds of La Liga, but even then, the team lacked resilience: Ernesto Valverde's side won all matches by a narrow margin. Since then, the Basques have slowed down and suffered two defeats without scoring a goal. The club's streak without major victories in La Liga has reached 18 matches, with only 2 games won by a two-goal margin.
In this matchup, Girona is rightfully considered the underdog, but I expect them to put up a fight against Athletic. Prediction – Girona with a handicap (+1.5)
