Athletic Club - Espanyol - Tips by users and experts on football, 8 March 2019: Spain. La Liga

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Squad

Athletic Club Win • 1.909

After winning their opening league game in August, Athletic Bilbao had to wait until December 10 for the second to come along. That poor form left them in the bottom three but they have only lost two of their last 12 league games, both on their travels.They are up to 12th in the table, a comfortable 10 points above the relegation zone they once occupied and only four off the Europa League positions. At home they have gone eight league games without defeat with four consecutive clean sheets. That includes keeping out both Barcelona and Sevilla.
Espanyol are level on points with Bilbao and a place below them in the table. They had a terrible run of form in January but are currently on a five-game unbeaten league run. The standard of their opposition in those five games hasn't been of the highest quality. They have beaten Rayo Vallecano who are one from bottom in the table and 16th placed Real Valladolid. There were also draws against Huesca and Villarreal who are both in the bottom three. Away from home, they have no wins in their last eight league games. They have only won one away league game all season (at bottom of the table Huesca) so the tip here is for a home win for Bilbao.

Athletic Club Win • 1.67

Athletic Bilbao welcome Espanyol having lost only two of their 13 La Liga (LL) home games so far (W5, D6, L2), whilst the visiting ‘Pericos’ are currently undefeated in five league outings (W2, D3), but have won just once on the road this LL campaign (W1, D5, L7).After just one victory from the first 14 rounds, the hosts have now won six of their last 12 league matches (W6, D4, L2), and have managed to keep a clean sheet in each of their last four home games (W3, D1).The ‘Leones’ did fall to a 2-0 defeat at Valencia last weekend, in what was just the second time in their last 12 LL fixtures where they conceded more than once. Sitting just four points off the European placings, Bilbao will be keen to return to winning ways here.Espanyol have picked up only 24.24% of their total 33 point-haul on the road this season, and are the division’s worst away side with an average of just 0.62 points collected per road trip. Still, they are unbeaten in their last two away outings (Villarreal, Valencia), both of which ended in stalemate.The visitors come into this one after a morale-boosting 3-1 victory over Valladolid last Saturday. Furthermore, they haven’t lost to Bilbao in the last three top-flight H2Hs (W2, D1), and are unbeaten in five of their last ten league visits here (W3, D2, L5).Players to watch: Bilbao’s last three goals came courtesy of Raúl García. Meanwhile Espanyol’s winter signing Wu Leibecame the first-ever Chinese player to score in LL last weekend.Stat attack: Bilbao have scored three of their last four goals within the first 25 minutes.Espanyol have failed to score in five of their 13 away league games.There’s been over 2.5 goals in 53.85% of Espanyol’s LL away fixtures.

Athletic Club Win • 1.74

Athletic are one of the strongest teams of the league at home, as Espanyol is one of the worst away. Borja Iglesias, Darder and David López are not to play tonight, which will make it easier for Athletic.