Two weeks ago Real Oviedo beat Girona (1:0), earning only their third win of the current season. It looks as though the hosts are destined for relegation, and Athletic Bilbao will be highly motivated to take three points against them.
Real Oviedo
On top of the defensive errors typical of teams in the bottom half of the LaLiga standings, Real Oviedo have now developed problems in attack. They have scored only 12 goals in 22 matches, while even the second-worst attacking sides, Rayo Vallecano and Getafe, have six more. At home, Santi Cazorla and his team-mates create very little: with 10.15 xG (the second-worst figure in the league), they have scored only 4 goals, around half of what would be expected.
Athletic Bilbao
After being eliminated from the UEFA Champions League, Athletic Bilbao are likely to improve their results domestically. On Wednesday, Ernesto Valverde's side suffered a painful derby defeat in the cup against Real Sociedad (0:1), but they will have another opportunity to turn that tie around. Before that match, the visitors had beaten Valencia (2:1) and Levante (4:2), and since 13 January the squad have scored a total of 17 goals in eight matches. The Williams brothers (Iñaki and Nico) are fit again, and their quality should be enough to secure a win over the underdog.
Real Oviedo vs Athletic Bilbao Prediction
In the first meeting between the sides this season in Bilbao, Real Oviedo offered very little and lost 0:1 to Athletic Bilbao; in terms of chances, it was not close at all, 0.25:1.70 in xG. A similar scenario is likely at the Carlos Tartiere Stadium.
