The Matchday 5 clash in La Liga between Valencia and Athletic will take place on September 20 at the Mestalla Stadium. Valencia vs. Athletic: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Valencia
Carlos Corberan's side visited Barcelona in the last round and suffered a crushing 0-6 defeat. Interestingly, Valencia did not manage a single shot on target in the first half, something that hasn't happened since February 2023. Nevertheless, Valencia has 4 points after 4 matches and currently sits 15th. It's also worth noting that the victory over Getafe in the third round (3-0) is the only win for the club in their last seven La Liga matches (2 draws and 4 losses).
- No more than two goals have been scored in 5 of Valencia's last 7 matches in La Liga.
- The team has not lost in 7 of their last 8 home games in the league (5 wins and 2 draws).
- Valencia has not conceded more than one goal in their last 8 home matches in La Liga.
Predicted lineup for Valencia (5-3-2)
Julen Agirrezabala – Jose Luis Gaya, Cesar Tárrega, Mouctar Diakhaby, Jose Manuel Copete, Dimitri Foulquier – Xavi Guerra, Baptiste Santamaria, Diego Lopez – Arnaut Danjuma, Hugo Duro.
Athletic
The Basques started with three consecutive wins in the championship, which allowed them to lead the standings alongside Real Madrid. However, in the last round, the team unexpectedly lost at home to Alaves with a score of 0-1. This was likely influenced by the absence of head coach Ernesto Valverde on the sideline. As a result, the club dropped to 3rd place, with Barcelona moving ahead.
- Athletic has won 7 of their last 10 matches in La Liga (1 draw and 2 losses).
- At least one team failed to score in 9 of Athletic's last 11 league matches.
- No more than two goals have been scored in 14 of the club's last 17 La Liga matches.
Predicted lineup for Athletic (4-3-3)
Unai Simon – Yuri Berchiche, Daniel Vivian, Jesus Areso, Aitor Paredes – Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta, Mikel Haurregui, Oihan Sancet – Gorka Guruzeta, Alex Berenguer, Inaki Williams.
The club's head coach Ernesto Valverde will miss another 3 matches due to disrespect towards the referee. Additionally, goalkeeper Alex Padilla will miss the next two matches due to suspension. Meanwhile, defender Yeray Alvarez is banned for 10 months due to doping, and forward Nico Williams is sidelined for 6 weeks due to injury.
Referee
Miguel Angel Ortiz (Spain)
Matches – 21 (La Liga, 2024/2025–2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 76;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.6;
Red cards shown – 4;
Average fouls per match – 20;
Penalties – 14%.
Valencia vs. Athletic: Match Prediction
Both teams approach this encounter after disappointing defeats in the league. It is crucial for both sides to secure points in this match to maintain confidence, suggesting a fiercely contested battle. In such encounters, high scoring is unlikely, so I believe the teams will score no more than two goals.
This number of goals has been scored in 12 of the last 15 head-to-head meetings in La Liga. Additionally, Valencia plays well defensively at home, with no more than two goals scored in 5 of their last 7 league matches. Athletic also prefers low-scoring football away, as seen in 8 of their last 9 away games in the league. Furthermore, the Basques have conceded only 4 goals in their last 9 away La Liga matches.
My prediction: Total under 2.5 goals
