Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the La Liga match.
Athletic Bilbao's excellent performance last weekend allowed them to close the gap to league leaders Real Madrid to six points. Their away trip to Espanyol is unlikely to pose significant problems, as the Catalan side have been inconsistent and their defence may struggle against Athletic Bilbao's intense attacking pressure.
Espanyol
Their defeat to Real Sociedad (1:2) last Sunday was their first loss of 2025. Despite a four-match unbeaten run, which included a win over Real Madrid (1:0), the newly promoted side have still been conceding a high number of chances – 5.17 xGA in three games since January. Coach Luis Miguel Ramis welcomes back Carlos Romero after suspension, but five key players remain out injured.
Athletic Bilbao
Their strong Europa League group-stage performance allowed them to skip the play-off round, while last weekend they easily handled Girona (3:0). Athletic Bilbao generated 3.56 xG from 23 shots despite only 44% possession, with Oihan Sancet scoring a hat-trick (11 goals in La Liga). Since the start of 2025, they have accumulated 6.09 xG in La Liga, ranking fifth in this metric.
Espanyol vs Athletic Bilbao Prediction
In their last three meetings, Athletic Bilbao have won all three (0:1, 1:2, 1:4). They are in excellent form, firmly in the top four and putting pressure on the title contenders. Espanyol, despite some positive results, have a leaky defence and key injuries. Given their recent dominance in this fixture, we expect another victory for Athletic Bilbao.
