Athletic Club Bilbao - Granada CF predictions and free betting tips [19/04/2024]

On Friday, 19th April, as part of the 32nd round of the Spanish Primera, Athletic will host Granada. The "Lions" occupy the fifth position in the league table, lagging four points behind the Champions League zone, while the guests are settled in at 19th place and have already accepted the inevitability of relegation.

Athletic

"Athletic" is still fighting for the right to finish in the Champions League quartet, trailing Atletico Madrid by four points. The Basques took only one point in the last two rounds, losing 2:0 to Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu and drawing 1:1 with Villarreal last weekend, despite the dismissal of Comesaña at the start of the second half. The "Lions" went ahead in the 66th minute thanks to a goal from Oihan Sanset, but Dani Parejo converted a penalty in the 95th minute, restoring parity on the scoreboard. Nonetheless, Ernesto Valverde's team has already written the current season in golden letters in the club's history thanks to victory in the Copa del Rey after winning the final against Mallorca (2:1 after a penalty shootout). It's important to note that "Athletic" impresses with its home performances in Primera, having gained 37 points in 16 matches at San Mames and suffering only one loss.

Just a week later, the Stripes will clash with Atletico Madrid at Wanda Metropolitano, but there are no other formidable opponents for the hosts in the remaining rounds. Ruiz de Galarreta, who was disqualified for an excess of yellow cards last weekend, will return and will claim to appear in the start, while defender Álvarez (muscular discomfort) will definitely miss the meeting. As for the others, Valverde can count on his optimal lineup, including Iñaki Williams (9 goals, 3 assists), his younger brother Nico (3 goals, 8 assists), and forward Gorka Guruzeta (13 goals, 4 assists). Aitor Paredes will continue to act in the heart of the defense together with experienced Vivian, and De Marcos and Yuri will be responsible for reliability at the flanks; Unai Simón will take the goalkeeper's position. 

Granada

"Granada", apparently, has come to terms with the inevitability of relegation from La Liga at the end of the season, despite a 2:0 victory over another outsider - "Alaves" - last weekend. Goals by Uzuni and Boye allowed Ramon Sandoval's men to register their first victory since January and end a five-match losing streak. Despite the local success, the red-and-whites lag behind 17th place Celta Vigo by 11 points with seven rounds to go. It should be noted that the guests suffered three consecutive away losses: against Villarreal (5:1), Mallorca (1:0), and Cadiz (1:0), and by the number of points gained away from home, the team confidently goes last in the overall standings (only 2 points in 15 away matches). The goal difference also is not impressive: 32 against 60 respectively.

No team in Primera will envy Granada's schedule: the closing part of the season will feature duels with Athletic, Seville, and Real Madrid, as well as a trip to Girona. The coaching staff is preparing their charges for the upcoming match in an optimal line-up, only Jesus Vallejo is out due to personal reasons. After the team steamrolled their opponents in Segunda last year, the management managed to keep forward Uzuni (10 goals in La Liga) in the lineup - but in the summer he has every chance to move up. The same applies to Argentinian forward Lucas Boyé, while Bryan Saragosa left Spain back in January, moving to Bayern Munich. Facundo Pellistri, borrowed from Manchester United, is expected to take the winger's position, and Gumbau and Ruiz will have to cement the midfield. 

Head-to-Head

Granada has avoided defeat in the last three face-to-face matches with Athletic, and the first round meeting ended in a 1:1 draw.              

Athletic - Granada match prediction

"Athletic" cannot afford a slip this weekend, otherwise the "Lions" will lag behind the Champions League quartet by seven points. At the same time, "Granada" is playing out the season without any tournament motivation, as there is almost no chance of salvation. The guests are absolutely the worst team in Primera this season when it comes to away performances, so we boldly bet on a victory for the favourite with a handicap of -1.5.