The Matchday 5 clash in La Liga between Valencia and Athletic will take place on September 20 at the Mestalla Stadium. Valencia vs. Athletic: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Valencia
Carlos Corberan's side visited Barcelona in the last round and suffered a crushing 0-6 defeat. Interestingly, Valencia did not register a single shot on target in the first half, a rarity since February 2023. Nevertheless, Valencia has 4 points from 4 matches and currently sits 15th in the standings. It's also worth noting that their victory over Getafe in the third round (3-0) is their only win in the last seven La Liga matches (2 draws and 4 losses).
- No more than two goals have been scored in 5 of Valencia's last 7 La Liga games.
- The team has not lost in 7 of their last 8 home league matches (5 wins and 2 draws).
- Valencia has not conceded more than one goal in their last 8 home La Liga matches.
Predicted lineup for Valencia (5-3-2)
Julen Aguirrezabala – Jose Luis Gaya, Cezar Tárrega, Mouctar Diakhaby, Jose Manuel Copete, Dimitri Foulquier – Javi Guerra, Baptiste Santamaria, Diego Lopez – Arnaut Danjuma, Hugo Duro.
Athletic
The Basques started the season with three consecutive wins, sharing the top spot with Real Madrid in the standings. However, in the last round, the team unexpectedly lost 0-1 at home to Alaves. The absence of head coach Ernesto Valverde on the sidelines seemed to have an impact. As a result, the club dropped to 3rd place, with Barcelona moving ahead.
- Athletic has won 7 of their last 10 La Liga matches (1 draw and 2 losses).
- At least one team failed to score in 9 of Athletic's last 11 league games.
- No more than two goals have been scored in 14 of the club's last 17 La Liga matches.
Predicted lineup for Athletic (4-3-3)
Unai Simon – Yuri Berchiche, Daniel Vivian, Jesus Areso, Aitor Paredes – Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta, Mikel Jaureguizar, Oihan Sancet – Gorka Guruzeta, Alex Berenguer, Inaki Williams.
Head coach Ernesto Valverde will miss the next 3 matches due to disrespectful conduct towards the referee. Additionally, goalkeeper Alex Padilla will miss the next two matches due to suspension. Defender Yeray Alvarez is banned for 10 months due to doping. Forward Nico Williams is sidelined for 6 weeks due to injury.
Valencia vs. Athletic: Match Prediction
Both teams enter this match after disappointing league defeats. It's crucial for both sides to secure points to maintain confidence, suggesting a fiercely contested battle. In such encounters, high-scoring outcomes are unlikely. Thus, I predict the teams will score no more than two goals.
This number of goals has been scored in 12 of the last 15 head-to-head meetings in La Liga. Additionally, Valencia has a strong defensive record at home, with no more than two goals scored in 5 of their last 7 La Liga matches. Athletic also tends to play low-scoring football away, as seen in 8 of their last 9 away league matches. Furthermore, the Basques have conceded only 4 goals in their last 9 away La Liga games.
My prediction: Total under 2.5 goals
