The Matchday 8 clash in La Liga between Athletic and Mallorca will take place on October 4 at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao. Athletic vs. Mallorca: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Athletic
The Basques suffered their third goalless defeat in the last four La Liga matches (1 draw), losing 0-1 to Villarreal in the previous round. The last time Athletic went winless in four consecutive league games was in April 2024. The team has also failed to keep a clean sheet in five straight Spanish league matches. Due to their prolonged poor form, the team has dropped to 10th place in the La Liga standings. Notably, Athletic has earned 7 of their 10 points this season at their home stadium.
- The team has not scored more than once in 5 of their last 6 La Liga games.
- No more than 2 goals have been scored in 5 of Athletic's last 6 matches in this tournament.
- At home, the club has avoided defeat in 18 of their last 20 La Liga matches (12 wins, 6 draws).
Predicted lineup for Athletic (4-2-3-1)
Unai Simon – Yuri Berchiche, Aymeric Laporte, Dani Vivian, Lekue – Mikel Haurregui, Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta – Unai Gomez, Oihan Sancet, Inaki Williams – Gorka Guruzeta.
Defender Unai Echilus and midfielders Oihan Sancet, Benat Prados, Mikel Vesga will miss the game due to health issues.
Mallorca
The islanders secured their first victory of the current La Liga season by defeating Alaves 1-0 in the previous match. This success ended a nine-match winless streak in the Spanish league (3 draws, 6 losses). However, even with this victory, Mallorca remains in 19th place in La Liga, trailing the safety of 17th place only on additional indicators. Notably, the club lost all three away games in the current championship, with a total goal difference of 3:6.
- The team won with a handicap of (+1.5) in their last 6 La Liga matches.
- Mallorca scored in 5 of their last 6 league matches.
- On the road, the club lost 6 of their last 7 La Liga games (1 draw).
Predicted lineup for Mallorca (4-4-2)
Leo Roman – Pablo Maffeo, Martin Valjent, Antonio Raillo, Johan Mojica – Takuma Asano, Manu Morlanes, Samu Costa, Sergi Darder – Vedat Muriqi, Marc Domenech.
Defender Marash Kumbulla, midfielder Omar Mascarell, and forward Takuma Asano are out due to injuries.
Referee
Alejandro Quintero (Spain)
Matches – 27 (La Liga, 2024/25–2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 100;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.7;
Red cards shown – 9;
Average fouls per match – 27;
Penalties – 26%.
Athletic vs. Mallorca: Match Prediction
The hosts are experiencing their longest winless streak in La Liga since April 2024, despite having previously won three consecutive matches in the tournament. Facing one of the league's main outsiders, and playing at home, the Basques have a great opportunity to end their winless streak and improve their standing. Considering that Mallorca has lost all their away matches this La Liga season, and has been defeated in 6 of their last 7 away league games, failing to score in 4 of those matches, Athletic seems well-positioned for a turnaround.
The Basques, in turn, perform well at home, securing two of their three victories in the current championship at their stadium. Additionally, the club has won 5 of their last 8 home games in La Liga (1 draw, 2 losses). Furthermore, at home, they consistently earn 3 points against Mallorca in La Liga, winning 6 of the last 8 encounters (2 draws).
I expect the hosts to break their poor run in the league against the underdog. My prediction: Athletic Victory
