Valencia – Ath Bilbao : Preview & Prediction
In his eighth stint as Valencia CF’s head coach following the departure of Gennaro Gattuso at the end of January, Voro González (P2) has not yet managed to reverse the worrying situation of the team, a snowball that keeps on growing. The Blue and Whites started the second round of LaLiga Santander (LL) with a 1-0 defeat against Girona at Montilivi, and have now gone six games without a win in the league (E1, P5). Valencia have still not reacted and have failed to score in three consecutive defeats for the second time in ten years.
Los Ches have never had four defeats without scoring in their history in the top flight of Spanish soccer, something that could happen this Saturday. Valencia (G5, E5, P10) are just one point clear of relegation rivals Cadiz at the start of Matchday 21, and Voro admitted after the defeat at Montilivi that “the reality is hard and very harsh”. The team from the capital of the Turia is facing the abyss and is looking for three absolutely vital points against Athletic Club, whom they have not beaten in the last six league meetings between them (E4, P2).
This could be a good opportunity to break that streak; Athletic visit Mestalla without having won in any of their last seven league outings (E3, P4). This is not unfamiliar to Ernesto Valverde, who in his previous spell in charge of Athletic endured a run of nine consecutive matches without an away win in LL, the eighth of which ended in a 2-0 loss to Valencia.
While their away form has been disappointing, Athletic will arrive at the Mestalla in high spirits after a dramatic 4-1 win over Cadiz that saw them finish Round 20 just two points outside the European zone. If they are to return to UEFA competition for the first time since 2017-18, the rojiblanco side will undoubtedly need to improve on their dismal results away from San Mames, and Los Leones have the attacking potential to do so: prior to this matchday, only Barcelona and Real Madrid have scored more goals than Athletic (29).
Key battle: Goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili recorded his highest number of saves for Valencia this season (seven) last matchday. Los Ches will need Mamardashvili to once again be a wall between the sticks against an Athletic side whose top scorer in LL 2022-23, Oihan Sancet, scored the first hat-trick of goals scored by a player in the current championship against Cadiz. Sancet is the fifth youngest player to have scored two hat-tricks in LL in the 21st century.
Key statistic: Valencia is the team that has lost the most points on the scoreboard in LL this season (14).
Valencia – Ath Bilbao : Betting Tips
Valencia – Win Odds: 3.25
