Almeria - Athletic Club Bilbao predictions and free betting tips [12/02/2024]

Today as part of the Spanish La Liga's 24th round, Almeria will face off against Athletic Bilbao on home turf. The visiting team currently sits in fifth place in the league table, having racked up 45 points, while the home team remains rooted at the bottom, a daunting 14 points away from the safety zone, having not yet claimed a single victory in this season's campaign

Almeria

This season, Almeria has yet to secure a victory in La Liga, and most of the club's supporters harbour no doubt that their team is on the verge of dropping back down to the Segunda Division. Although mathematically speaking, Almeria still has a chance to retain their spot in the elite division, in reality, such an outcome seems highly implausible. Over the past weekend, the Andalusian club suffered a third consecutive defeat at the hands of Valencia (2:1), having previously lost at home to Alaves (0:3) and out at Santiago Bernabeu to Real Madrid (3:2). The team is currently trailing Mallorca, who sit 17th in the standings, by 14 points and their defensive performance attests to the fact that theirs is the poorest in the league having conceded 51 goals.

Injured with a broken ankle, Kone will sit out the upcoming matches, as will Luis Suarez, who is injured again (fractured fibula for the second time this season). Leo Baptistao (4 goals in La Liga this season) will be disqualified due to a red card in the previous round, while defenders Cesar Montes and Radovanovic (new signing from Kortrijk) have questionable fitness. Sergio Arribas (on loan from Real Madrid) has scored 6 goals in La Liga and is likely to make the starting lineup. Transfer news includes Brazilian centre-back Lazaro joining Palmeiras on loan in early February, while Kaiki (8 appearances in the first half of the season) moved to Albacete and Sergio Akieme to Reims.

Athletic

Athletic Bilbao is a direct contender striving to earn a Champions League spot and currently sits fifth in the league table. Last Wednesday, the Basques delivered Atletico Madrid their first defeat of the season at Wanda Metropolitano in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final (0:1), securing real chances of progressing to the final - Alex Berenguer bagged the lone goal.

The January transfer window saw no significant squad changes for Athletic Bilbao. Iñaki Williams (8 goals, 3 assists in La Liga), Guruzeta (9 goals, 2 assists) and Berenguer (4 league goals) are all expected to take to the field from the outset and will be responsible for the attacking creativity. However, there remains some uncertainty about Nico Williams (3 goals, 6 assists in the league), who was absent in last Wednesday's cup clash due to injury. If he hasn't fully recovered by Monday, the starting lineup is likely to feature Iker Muniain; the experienced forward came off the bench in the last round and scored against Mallorca. Defensive solidity will once again be provided by centre-backs Yeray and Paredes.

Head-to-Head

Almeria has lost all five of their most recent La Liga matches against Athletic, including a 3:0 defeat in the first leg.

Match prediction Almeria - Athletic

The whole of Spain is asking the question: Who will be the first to capitulate against Almeria this season? Judging by Athletic's current form, it is hard to envision a Basque fiasco on the upcoming Monday. As they fight for a spot in the Champions League quarterfinals, the visitors simply can't afford any slip-ups against outsiders - especially given that Almeria has personnel problems and has suffered three defeats in a row. I predict a Lions' victory.

Total prediction

In all four of their previous head-to-head matches, Athletic consistently managed to score at least two goals. Given the home team's defensive difficulties, I expect this trend to continue.