Bitesize Prediction: Athletic Bilbao vs Alaves – 16/03/24

Competition: La Liga

Market: Athletic Bilbao win

Odds: 8/15 @ 1xBet

Hoping to find a route back into the Champions League spots, Athletic Bilbao will welcome Alaves to San Mames on Saturday night.

Starting with the hosts, while Athletic Bilbao might have eventually fallen short in their bid to book a European return last season, Ernesto Valverde’s men are enjoying a real domestic romp this time around. Opening this weekend’s fixtures sat just two points adrift of breaking into the Champions League places, the one-time Barcelona boss finds the mood his camp at a red-hot high. Last seen putting in another professional performance as they secured a 2-0 victory away at Las Palmas, the Lions have suffered just a single loss from any of their previous 10 straight appearances across all competitions – a run that stems back to January 20th. Punching a Copa del Rey final spot last month following a famous 3-0 romp against Atletico Madrid, Bilbao should be smelling a golden opportunity here. Not suffering a single La Liga defeat at San Mames since the middle of August, Valverde’s men are rightfully tipped as a standout contender on Saturday night.

As for the visitors, making what was a crucial return to winning ways last week as they clinched a gritty 1-0 victory against Rayo Vallecano, Alaves will be desperate to use that performance as a platform to build on. However, almost sat in La Liga limbo, Luis Garcia Plaza has seen his squad struggle with their consistency. Claiming just a single win from any of their previous six top-flight appearances, the Basque-based outfit should also be worried by a nightmare record against Saturday’s hosts. Suffering a 2-0 loss when they travelled to San Mames while in Copa del Rey action back on January 16th, Alaves have failed to claim a single win from any of their last six showdowns against Athletic Bilbao – a run that stems back to October 2020. It should also be highlighted, Plaza’s inconsistent squad have failed to record a sole win at San Mames over the past 19 years.

Bet: Athletic Bilbao 8/15 to beat Alaves in Saturday’s La Liga contest @ 1xBet