A key battle for the European spots in the Spanish La Liga table will take place at El Madrigal on Saturday, as Villarreal host Athletic Bilbao. If you want to take advantage of the best-betting markets and bonuses in the industry, our soccer picks have got you covered.
Let’s check the latest news, stats, injury reports, and Spain La Liga odds for Villarreal vs Bilbao. We’ve plenty of predictions for you to consider.
Villarreal: Tired legs
Villarreal has taken an important step toward a first Champions League semifinal appearance since 2006 thanks to Arnaut Danjuma’s goal at Estadio de la Ceramica which was enough to secure a 1-0 victory over the Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich ahead of next week’s return leg in Bavaria. In many ways, this is deserved validation of the work Villarreal boss Unai Emery has done since his arrival. Winning Europa League last season by beating Man United was not a mistake.
After a poor first half to the La Liga season, the Yellow Submarine bounced back to put themselves in a strong position for a European finish, as they picked up nine wins and 29 points from a span of 13 domestic league games between December and March. Unfortunately, prioritizing the double-legged tie with Bayern Munich came at a cost. They lost two games in a row against two teams who are fighting for survival, Cadiz, and Levante. Not only did they lose, but they failed to find the back of the net, which is a huge problem given their attacking firepower.
Now turning their focus back to the Spanish top flight, Emery’s men will aim to move further clear of their visitors and close the six-point gap between themselves and sixth-placed Real Sociedad with a crucial home win against Bilbao. Unai Emery is putting all the eggs in the European basket so he’s expected to rest many of his key players for this clash. So, if you’re soccer betting, it’s important to check the starting lineup before placing your bets.
Bilbao: Struggling on the road
Bilbao has now lost four away games in a row and they failed to score in the last three, against Barcelona, Valencia, and Real Betis. Marcelino’s side is just a point and a place behind Villarreal in La Liga, but their form on the road this season has been a problem, picking up just three wins and scoring only 10 goals.
While Marcelino’s men have impressed at various points during the season, they have often struggled for consistency and went into a recent meeting with Elche having lost two and won one of their previous four league outings. That win saw the Basque outfit move back within a point of Saturday’s opponents and seven points behind the European spots with eight games to play until the end of the season.
For the visitors, key defender Inigo Martinez will remain sidelined through injury, while Dani Garcia may also continue to miss out alongside Inigo Lekue. However, they will welcome Yeray Alvarez back from a suspension. Given their away struggles, it’s very tough to back Bilbao so we won’t include them in our soccer picks and parlays.
Villarreal vs Bilbao Head-to-Head
Bilbao is unbeaten in the previous six mutual encounters between the two sides, winning twice in the process, including a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture. The last three head-to-heads featured goals from both teams while four of the previous five meetings at this stadium produced goals on both sides of the pitch. At least one team has kept a clean sheet in Villarreal’s last six fixtures while Bilbao has failed to score in their last three away games. Villarreal is unbeaten in ten outings at La Ceramica.
Villarreal vs Bilbao Game Information
- Game: Villarreal (12-9-9) vs Bilbao (11-11-8)
- Location: Estadio de la Ceramica (Villarreal
- Day/Time: Saturday, April 9th, 12:30 p.m. ET
- Live stream: fubo.tv
Villarreal vs Bilbao Betting Lines
Villarreal vs Bilbao Predictions
The hosts enter this clash as favorites being priced at +110 on the three-way moneyline according to the latest soccer odds while the goal line is set at 2½.
The Yellow Submarine had a tough match against Bayern just a few days ago and they have the rematch scheduled for Tuesday, so they will likely be focused on that game more than on their duel with Bilbao. In addition to this, three of the previous five mutual encounters between the two sides have ended in draws.
We don’t expect a high-scoring affair so, in terms of goals, the best way to approach this clash is to bet the under. It’s tough to separate these two sides given the circumstances, so we are going for the draw. With no European commitments, Bilbao had more time at their disposal to prepare, and we fancy their chances to return home with one point.
