Athletic Club, one of the most historic clubs in Spanish soccer, will be looking to prove that they are a great local team, but they will face Barcelona, who are in a good moment and are still dreaming of winning the title.
The Basques are coming off a 3-1 away league loss to Real Betis, which snapped a four-game unbeaten streak but is motivated by its qualification to the final of the Copa del Rey.
The Blaugranas thrashed Getafe 4-0 in one of the best games in 2024 for Xavi Hernandez’s team and is on a good run.
When and Where?
Sunday, March 3, 3:00 pm ET at San Mamés
Moneyline odds:
Athletic Club 2.901
Barcelona 2.476
Draw Offs:
3.745
Where Can I Watch It?
DSports and Movistar Deportes
Why Bet on Athletic Club?
Athletic Club is having a good season and desire to qualify for the next Champions League, so they need to continue to be strong at home. They are fifth with 49 points, three less than Atlético Madrid, fourth.
The Basques’ last performance ended in a 3-1 defeat away to Real Betis, with goals from Chimy Ávila, Yuri Berchiche (against), and Jhonny. The team coached by Ernesto Valverde had gone four games without losing until this defeat against Betis.
If there is one thing that stands out about this club, it is that they are a voracious local. They only lost in the first match against Real Madrid, then won 10 games and drew two.
The last draw came on October 29, when they tied 2-2 with Valencia. Then they beat Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad, and even beat Barcelona in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey 4-2, scoring two goals in extra time. They have just crushed Atletico Madrid 3-0 (aggregate 4-0) in the semifinal of the cup and will play next month the final against Mallorca.
Their best scorer is striker Gorka Guruzeta, who has ten goals and three assists.
Athletic injured so far are midfielder Ander Herrera, with a foot injury, and winger Íñigo Lekue.
Why Bet on Barcelona?
Barcelona was supposed to defend the LaLiga title, but this season, the Catalan team has not been at the level of Real Madrid and Girona, so they hope to win the Champions League, something that does not look easy. However, they allow themselves to keep dreaming about the league, as they are eight points behind the Casa Blanca with 12 games to go.
The Culés beat Getafe 4-0 in the last match, with goals from Raphinha, Fermín López, Frenkie De Jong, and Joao Félix, showing signs of improvement.
Although he did not score against the Azulon, Robert Lewandowski was on a four-game scoring streak. Undoubtedly, the Pole is the hope of this team since his goals make the difference.
Xavi’s men are unbeaten in six games, winning four and drawing two. The only problem for this club is that they have Champions League and they will focus a lot on that. Away from home, Barcelona has not lost so far in the league, winning seven and drawing five games. They have scored 24 goals and conceded 15.
Another fact in favor of the ‘Culés’ is that they have very good numbers in recent years visiting this rival in the league. For example, they have only lost once in the last nine games.
Barcelona has several injured players: Marcos Alonso, Alejandro Balde, Gavi, and Ferrán Torres.
Final Betting Analysis: Athletic Club vs. Barcelona
The last time the Catalans visited the Bilbao side in LaLiga was on March 12 last year and won 1-0 with a Raphinha goal. Barcelona has four consecutive wins against Athletic in the league and eight unbeaten matches with seven victories. However, their last game was for La Copa del Rey, and the Basques triumphed 4-2 in their stadium.
The numbers at Gambyl Exchange have Barcelona as the favorite. The Moneyline for them shows 2.476, while Athletic has 2.901, and the draw is 3.745.
We believe that Athletic level is on the rise, so they’ll present a massive challenge for the visitors. A 1-1 will be the final result.
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