Las Palmas - Athletic Club Bilbao predictions and free betting tips [10/03/2024]

On Sunday, 10th March, as part of the 28th tour of Spanish La Liga, Las Palmas will host Athletic Bilbao. The host team is in eighth place, five points away from the top six, while the Lions are fifth overall and still hold hopes of reaching the Champions League zone.

Predicted Lineups

Las Palmas: Valles; Suarez, Coco, Marmol, S Cardona; El Haddadi, Munoz, Perrone, K Rodriguez, Moleiro; Sandro.
Bilbao: Simon; De Marcos, Vivian, Yeray, Garcia de Albeniz; D Garcia, Vesga; I Williams, Sancet, N Williams; Guruzeta.

Stadium

The match will take place in Las Palmas at the Gran Canaria stadium.

Las Palmas

It's worth noting that Las Palmas are the strongest newcomer to La Liga this season. While Alavés and Granada are in the lower end of the league table, the Islanders have a convincing performance: they are just five points behind Betis who are sixth. Being in eighth position, the Yellow-Blues have gone three rounds without a win in La Liga, this includes two draws: one with Osasuna (1:1) and the other with Getafe (3:3).

After the break, the Azulones led 3:1, but goals by Cardona and Munir restored parity on the scoreboard. In fact, Garcia Pimienta's charges haven't won for more than a month, with their last victory over Valencia (2:0) on 10th February. The club hasn't finished higher than 11th in the Spanish top flight since the 1978-79 season. Significantly, Las Palmas tend to perform well at home: in 13 fixtures on their own pitch, the hosts amassed 22 points, netted 17 goals and have conceded just 10. 

Athletic Bilbao

Athletic, who sit fifth, is a serious contender for the top four and possible Champions League qualification. Their main competitors for this are Atletico Madrid, whom the Basques have beaten three times this season: in the league (2:0) and in both legs of the Copa del Rey semi-final - first in the capital (0:1), and then at the San Mamés (3:0). Next, on 6th April, Ernesto Valverde's team will meet Mallorca in the Copa del Rey semi-final.

Last weekend, the Leones could not break through the Catalans' defence at home, managing a 0:0 draw, following a 3:1 defeat by Betis. Guruzeta was the only goal scorer for Athletic in the first half. Worthy of note is that the Basque team lacks consistency on the road, amassing just 17 points in 13 away games. Ernesto Valverde will be without experienced Ander Herrera (a hamstring issue, set to return in mid-March) and Yuri Berchiche. 

Head-to-Head

Las Palmas defeated Athletic (1:0) at their home ground in the 2017-18 campaign but suffered a similar scoring defeat in the first round of the current season at the San Mamés.

Match Prediction

Both teams are keen to bounce back in front of their respective fans after disappointing recent performances. With the return of Vivian (centre-back) and Nico Williams, Athletic should have more depth and considering their fifth place in La Liga based on the away points earned. Las Palmas have seemingly punched above their weight: the Islanders may just be finishing their season at their leisure, sans concerns about maintaining their top-flight status. My prediction goes to Valverde's team for the victory.

Total Goals Prediction

Both teams are renowned for strong defences: for instance, Las Palmas have conceded only 10 goals in 13 home games, while Athletic have fetched the ball from their net 12 times on their travels. My prediction is that the total number of goals will be under 2.5.

Corner Predictions

Athletic average 5.5 corners per match, while the hosts only average 4.4. My prediction favours a win for the Lions in this aspect.

Yellow Card Predictions

Both teams average just over two cautions per match, so my prediction is for the total yellow cards count to exceed 3.5.

Score Predictions

My prediction is for a 1:0 victory in favour of Athletic.