Real Betis vs Athletic Bilbao Prediction 25.02.2024

• Competition: Spain - LaLiga
• Date: Sunday, 25th, February 2024
• Kickoff: 15:15 UK / 16.15 CET
• Venue: Estadio Benito Villamarin (Sevilla)

Sunday's LaLiga fixture at the Estadio Benito Villamarin sees two sides with their eyes on Europe as Real Betis lock horns with Athletic Bilbao in round number 26 of the top-flight.

The Green and Whites from Andalusia return to league duties this weekend feeling rather frustrated after their midweek exit from this year's European football, as they were knocked out of the Conference League by the Zagreb giant Dinamo, thanks to a 1-2 aggregate loss, despite the second leg 1-1 draw on Croatian soil. Real Betis, having bid farewell to the Copa del Rey for this season in January, are now laser-focused on their pursuit of a top-six finish in LaLiga, where they're on the verge of leapfrogging Real Sociedad in sixth, with only a one-point gap separating them.

Freed from the burden of European obligations this campaign, Athletic Bilbao approaches the 26th LaLiga gameweek with a sense of freshness, yet brimming with confidence after they saw off title-hopefuls Girona in a five-goal thriller 3-2 amidst the packed stands of San Mames. As a result of this remarkable showcase, the Basque Lions have not only expanded their triumphant streak at home to nine games in all competitions but have also firmly reestablished themselves in the hunt for a top-four finish, with just a two-point gap separating them from Atletico Madrid, who currently holds the final Champions League ticket.

Real Betis vs Athletic Bilbao Betting Tips: Under 2.5

Clearly, both sides are eager to seize their desired European berths, yet with a cautious approach to avoid jeopardizing their chances of qualifying for any of UEFA's competitions, we anticipate a tightly contested affair that could end just as it began. Although Athletic Bilbao have been assigned the role of favourites, grabbing all the spoils at Benito Villamarin will be anything but a practical task, as Real Betis are difficult to beat with just one loss suffered in 13 home top-flight games to this point. Struggling to convert their draws into victories due to a lack of sharpness in the final third, Los Verdiblancos, known as specialists in splitting points this term with 12 such outcomes, find themselves wrestling with a drought of goals, failing to net more than one in ten occasions across their last 12 outings.

Similarly, it can't be said that Atletik Bilbao is thriving in that department, especially when they play away from home, as they've only managed to bulge the net once in their last four visits, with the concerning fact that they've failed to break down the backlines of two bottom-dwellers, settling for back-to-back goalless draws against Almeria and Cadiz. Observing the struggles on both ends to unlock the opponent's defensive lines, coupled with the fact that the net has been moved only once in the last three H2H meetings of this pair at Benito Villamarin, we foresee the fourth straight clash with low-scoring affairs on the horizon in Andalusia.