Sevilla – Ath Bilbao : Preview & Prediction
A new chapter in Jorge Sampaoli’s 26-year coaching career begins this Saturday at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán with his long-awaited return to the bench at Sevilla FC, which he already coached in 2016-17. The Blanquirrojo side then racked up their second-highest points tally in a LaLiga Santander campaign (LL), finishing fourth as well as reaching the last 16 of the Champions League. Sampaoli returns to Nervión with the aim of reviving a Sevilla side slumping in LL and coming off a 4-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in his predecessor Julen Lopetegui’s last game in charge.
Santos, Atletico Mineiro and Marseille improved their positions in a season under Sampaoli, so much is expected from the Argentine coach, but it will be far from easy for him to refloat the ship of a Sevilla FC with its worst record in the first seven LL matches since 1996-97 (5/21 pts – G1, E2, P4). The absence of center-back Karim Rekik, Sevilla’s only scorer in LL matches at the Sánchez-Pizjuán this season, complicates Sampaoli’s debut. It should be noted that Sevilla conceded a total of 11 goals in the last three home games in which the Dutch defender did not play (Dortmund, Manchester City and Barça).
In LL 2021-22, Athletic Club lost 1-0 in their two duels with Sevilla, contributing to Los Leones being out of UEFA competitions for the fifth consecutive season, their longest period without playing in Europe in the current century. In the third spell under Ernesto Valverde, Athletic are third after a 4-0 win over Almeria and have suffered just one defeat in seven games. In five of the previous six seasons with Valverde at the helm, Athletic managed a place in European competitions, so the red-and-white fans should be excited about the team after their great start to the championship.
October will be an extremely demanding month for the red and white team, eight-time LL champions. Once they visit the Sánchez-Pizjuán, Athletic will have to face big teams such as Atlético de Madrid, Barcelona and Villarreal -all of them with European commitments-, duels that will show before the World Cup in Qatar whether Valverde’s squad can be serious contenders for a Champions League spot.
Players to watch: Isco, who has yet to open his scoring account as a Sevilla FC player, is unbeaten scoring or assisting against Athletic (G3, E1). For his part, Iñaki Williams is the only member of Athletic’s current squad to have scored in two league duels against Sevilla since 2018-19.
Notable series: the five most recent clashes between Sevilla and Athletic in LL have been settled by the minimum, and each of the last eight had no more than one goal in the first half.
Sevilla – Ath Bilbao : Betting Tips
BTS/YES Odds: 2.25
