Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona Betting Odds and Predictions – La Liga

New coach in Bilbao – Barça want to end the goalless streak

⚽️ Competition: LaLiga
🔺 Date: 06.01.2021
🔻 Betting Prediction: Barcelona
🔺 Betting Odds: 1.85
🔻 Stake: 4/10 units

The injury game between Athletic Bilbao and FC Barcelona was on shaky legs, as there were two positive corona cases in Barça’s coaching staff. But since all Blaugrana players gave negative tests on Tuesday, the match will take place as planned.

Originally it is a game of the 2nd matchday, which was postponed to January 6th due to the changes to the schedule.

Before the game, Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona on the odds of the best bookmakers, we find that Barça goes into the game as favourites, but a draw is also within the range of the expected.

Because the betting providers at Athletic Bilbao vs. Barcelona betting odds of around 3.90 – not a particularly high odds.

🔻 Betting Prediction: Under 2.5
🔺 Betting Odds: 2.00

Athletic Bilbao – Statistics & current form

Athletic Bilbao is tackling the great game against FC Barcelona with a new coach: The Basques sacked Gaizka Garitano on Sunday and replaced him with Marcelino Garcia Toral.

And that despite the fact that the Athletic Club even won 1-0 against newly-promoted Elche at the weekend. The Basques are now in ninth place in the table after their home win at the weekend but had only won one of their last seven games before beating Elche.

The reason for the dismissal is not the performance in the last game, but the performance of the entire season and the poor development and consistency of the team. Because in terms of play it was always very poor what Bilbao delivered, the Basques have not yet been able to achieve two wins in a row. So you stumbled from victory to defeat to draw.

Athletic Bilbao’s offensive is struggling

In the offensive, in particular, there has been a serious problem so far, as only 19 goals in 17 games show. The team has problems especially abroad, only one of nine games has been won here (1S / 3U / 5N), and especially as a visiting team, they have been disappointing across the board with one exception. At home, they won five of the eight games (5S / 0U / 3N).

“Los Leones” are six points behind in sixth place. Since the teams that rank above Athletic Bilbao in the table, with the exception of Celta Vigos, all play Europeans, Bilbao secretly expects to be able to stalk their way closer to the European ranks without double burden. The qualification for the EL is the goal, that is what new coach Marcelino should create in the best case.

The ex-coach of Valencia signed until the summer of 2022 – and will now face the great Barça in the first game. A difficult undertaking at the beginning. If you rely directly on the coach effect, you will find before Athletic Bilbao vs. Barcelona odds of 4.65 on average on the home win.

Probable lineup of Athletic Bilbao:
➤ Simon – de Marcos, Nuñes, Martinez, Berchiche – Vesga, Vencedor, Williams, Muniain, Berenguer – Garcia

Last matches from Athletic Bilbao:

LaLiga
⚽️ 01/03 2021 Athletic Bilbao 1 – 0 Moose
⚽️ 12/31 2020 Athletic Bilbao 0 – 1 San Sebastian
⚽️ 12/22 2020 Villarreal CF 1 – 1 Athletic Bilbao
⚽️ 12/18 2020 Athletic Bilbao 2 – 0 SD Huesca
⚽️ 12/15 2020 Real Madrid 3 – 1 Athletic Bilbao

Barcelona – Statistics & current form

The coaching change in Bilbao comes at an inopportune time for FC Barcelona – because under Garitano, the Basque Lions have not necessarily been to fear this season.

But the Catalans also had completely different problems one day after the game: There would be not only the serious injury problem, there are currently four regular players in Ansu Fati, Phillipe Coutinho (both meniscus surgery), Sergi Roberto (muscle rupture) and Gerard Piqué (knee problems) all injured in the long term. The association was also concerned with the subject of Corona.

On Monday, two employees of the coaching team tested positive for COVID-19, after which the entire team had to be tested, according to the LaLiga protocol. The final training and press conference was then postponed, so the catch-up game in Bilbao was very much on the brink.

Corona scare in Barcelona

But all players tested negative, so Barça has no further losses to complain about and can tackle the difficult game. After all, Barcelona does so with a sense of achievement behind them that was brought in abroad. On Sunday the Blaugrana deservedly won 1-0 in Huesca. Only the third away win of the not exactly spoiled by the success of the Catalans this season, who meanwhile even occupied the last place in the away table, but have now climbed into midfield (balance: 3S / 1U / 3N).

They can also climb further with an away win in Bilbao. Three points and Barcelona would even climb to 3rd place in the table – for the first time this season!

The Koeman team should also be positive that they have been undefeated for six league games (4S / 2U). As a result, Athletic Bilbao vs. Barcelona tip on the next away win – it would be the third in a row.

After all, the betting providers have an average of 1.75, as shown by the betting odds before Athletic Bilbao against Barcelona.

Probable lineup of Barcelona:
➤ Ter Stegen – Dest, Araujo, Lenglet, Alba – Busquets, De Jong, Messi, Pedri, Dembélé – Griezmann

Last matches from Barcelona:

LaLiga
⚽️ 01/03 2021 SD Huesca 0 – 1 Barcelona
⚽️ 12/29 2020 Barcelona 1 – 1 Eibar
⚽️ 12/22 2020 Real Valladolid 0 – 3 Barcelona
⚽️ 12/19 2020 Barcelona 2 – 2 Valencia
⚽️ 12/16 2020 Barcelona 2 – 1 San Sebastian

Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona Direct comparison / H2H balance

How difficult the Blaugrana stint at San Mames will be from their point of view is made clear by the last matches: Barça could neither win three games in a row in Bilbao nor even score a goal. 1: 0, 1: 0 and 0: 0 were the last three results in the league and cup.

There have been few goals in the last few games between these two clubs. Seven times in a row there was a maximum of two goals to marvel at. In view of this statistic, Athletic Bilbao against Barcelona would suggest under 2.5.

The overall balance is of course unsurprisingly in favour of Barcelona: This traditional duel has already taken place 178 times in La Liga, 88 games of which Barça won, 30 draws and 60 wins for Bilbao.

Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona betting odds in comparison

🔻 Betting Prediction: Athletic Bilbao
🔺 Betting Odds: 5.25
🔻 Betting Prediction: Draw
🔺 Betting Odds: 4
🔻 Betting Prediction: Barcelona
🔺 Betting Odds: 1.61

Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona Betting Odds and Predictions

Athletic Bilbao is tackling the catch-up game against Barcelona with a new coach – that makes the game doubly difficult from the Catalans’ point of view. Not only that the coaching effect could set in, tactically the Basques are of course difficult to calculate.

In addition, Barça had a hard time in San Mames anyway, didn’t score three times in a row and conceded two bankruptcies.

Key facts – Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona tips

🔺 Barça could neither win nor score three games in a row in Bilbao
🔺 Athletic Bilbao have sacked Garitano and replaced with Marcelino
🔺 FC Barcelona have been unbeaten in six league games

Barcelona has been warned, but have at least shown improved form recently. Not only have they been unbeaten in six games, but there have also recently been two concentrated away wins abroad (3-0 in Valladolid, 1-0 in Huesca), in which Barça presented themselves as stable and focused.

Therefore, at Athletic Club vs Barcelona prediction: Barcelona win and there are under 3.5 goals.

Sebastian Grey