Athletic Bilbao v Real Betis

Athletic Bilbao vs Real Betis Preview

After an encouraging five-match unbeaten run in La Liga, Athletic Bilbao have failed to win either of their two subsequent matches in the Spanish top flight which has left the hosts remaining on the fringes of the top six pack in seventh place.

Real Betis will also be keen to return to winning ways on Thursday evening as the visitors have lost two of their last three games but despite this recent slump, Real Betis have still managed to hold onto sixth place ahead of these midweek fixtures.

Athletic Bilbao had previously posted wins against Real Valladolid, Espanyol, Real Sociedad and Almeria and it had looked like the hosts would break into the top six of La Liga at any moment but having taken just one point from their last two matches, Athletic Bilbao remain in seventh place.

A disappointing 1-0 defeat at home to Sevilla was followed by an equally below-par performance against Mallorca in a 1-1 draw, while results on home soil at their San Mamés Barria ground have also taken a turn for the worse as Athletic Bilbao have managed to capture just two wins from their last eight games in La Liga.

Real Betis have managed to hang onto their current sixth place in the La Liga standings but for how long remains to be seen as the visitors have also had to endure a rather sticky patch of results in the last few weeks in the domestic top flight.

The visitors possess a slender two-point cushion over their upcoming hosts but having managed to capture just two wins from their last nine matches, the prospects of an away win against Bilbao look fairly unlikely to say the least as both of these recent wins were achieved at home against Mallorca and Espanyol.

However, four defeats within their last six games have seen Real Betis slip to losses against Atletico Madrid, Cadiz, Osasuna and Barcelona, the latter being a particularly heavy 4-0 defeat away from home.

With three defeats in each of their last three away games, Real Betis look to have their work cut out here against hosts, Athletic Bilbao.

Athletic Bilbao v Real Betis Verdict

Both Athletic Bilbao and Real Betis have produced questionable results in recent times in the Spanish top flight as the reality of a potential place in Europe for next season begins to dawn on them, and consistency has seemingly gone out of the window.

However, Athletic Bilbao look to hold the upper hand here as the hosts have won each of the previous nine meetings on the trot against Real Betis and the home side will be keen to add a tenth win on Thursday night.

Therefore, our main bet will be Athletic Bilbao win @ 1.70

Other side bets worth considering:

Athletic Bilbao win & Under 2.5 goals @ 3.75

Correct score: Athletic Bilbao 1-0 @ 6.50