Getafe vs Athletic Bilbao
Time is running out for Athletic Bilbao to make a push for the Champions League next season because the gap between them and fourth place has grown even bigger after Ernesto Valverde’s side suffered a 3-1 loss against Atletico Madrid last time out.
Athletic Bilbao are still fifth in the La Liga table, but they must collect positive La Liga 2024 results from here on out while hoping that Atletico Madrid will slip up to make it.
Up next for Los Leones is a trip to the Alfonso Perez Coliseum, where they’re set to square off against Getafe on Friday. The hosts are undefeated in their last three La Liga matches, so Athletic Bilbao must have their guard up.
Read more below for the SBOTOP preview of this contest.
Talking Points
Greenwood has to carry Getafe
After two years in exile due to rape and assault charges, Mason Greenwood is back to playing high-level football, and he’s enjoying his loan stint with Getafe this season.
The 22-year-old winger is the team’s second-leading scorer with eight goals and six assists, and he’ll be the focal point of their attack when Los Azulones host Los Leones on Friday at the Alfonso Perez Coliseum.
Manchester United are keeping tabs on Greenwood’s progress, as they have a huge decision to make about his future at Old Trafford. Getafe are keen on keeping Greenwood beyond this summer, but Manchester United won’t sell him for a cheap fee.
Mason Greenwood recorded a brace and an assist in their 3-1 win over Almeria last time out, and Getafe will need him to do something similar because they will miss up to five players due to injuries, such as Borja Mayoral, Carles Alena, Juan Iglesias, Domingos Duarte, and Mauro Arambarri.
The absence of Mayoral, in particular, is a huge blow to Getafe’s frontline since he’s their top scorer this season with 15 goals. With him unavailable, 35-year-old striker Jaime Mata will make a push for another start after scoring a goal last Saturday.
Nemanja Maksimovic and Oscar Rodriguez will also start to bolster Getafe’s attack, while Juanmi Latasa is an alternative off the bench for manager Jose Bordalas.
Athletic Bilbao need to step it up defensively
Los Leones are winless in their last four La Liga matches (D2, L2), which is their worst drought in a single season in La Liga since a run between April and May 2023 (D1, L3). They haven’t been the same since their Copa del Rey triumph against Mallorca last month.
Athletic Bilbao’s defence has been underwhelming during this run, and if this keeps up, it’ll prevent Unai Simon, their first-choice goalkeeper, from winning an important award this season.
The three goals conceded by Simon on Saturday against Atletico Madrid pushed his goals-to-games ratio to 0.968, so Barcelona goalie Marc-Andre ter Stegen (0.909) is now in pole position for the prestigious Zamora Trophy.
History
Getafe and Athletic Bilbao shared the spoils in their first league meeting this season last September, as Gaston Alvarez and Juanmi Latasa scored for Los Azulones, while Yuri Berchiche and Inaki Williams netted for Los Leones. Athletic Bilbao were reduced to 10 men when Oihan Sancet was sent off in the first half.
These two sides have drawn 10 of their last 13 La Liga encounters (two wins for Getafe and one for Athletic Bilbao).
After three consecutive home losses in La Liga to Athletic Bilbao between 2013 and 2016, Getafe have not lost any of their last six home matches against them, although five of them were draws (W1).
However, Jose Bordalas’ men have lost three of their last eight La Liga games at the Alfonso Perez Coliseum (W3, D2) after losing only once in their previous 17 such matches.
Betting Tip
The La Liga 2024 odds expect a close fight between Athletic Bilbao and Getafe this weekend. Los Leones are slightly favoured at 2.20 odds, while Los Azulones are not far behind at 3.23 in the 1X2 market.
Given how well they match up against each other in recent meetings, it’s hard not to see Getafe and Athletic Bilbao share the spoils again on Friday, hence our recommended bet above.
There should be enough goals to go by from this fixture, like in their previous meeting, so you may also want to take a look at Over 1.75 at 1.58, Over 2.00 at 1.83, and Total Goal 2-3 at 1.92, while Total Goal 4-6 at 4.31 is the bolder choice.
Furthermore, a Correct Score of 2-2 – the result of their reverse fixture – is priced at 19.50.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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