Osasuna v Athletic Bilbao

Osasuna vs Athletic Bilbao Preview

This upcoming fixture between Osasuna and Athletic Bilbao could prove to be a pivotal one in terms of shaping the top seven finishers in La Liga as only three points separate the two teams prior to Thursday night's clash at the Estadio El Sadar.

Osasuna occupy 10th place in the Spanish top flight table but despite losing three of their last four games overall in La Liga to the likes of Real Sociedad, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, the hosts still only trail Athletic Bilbao and the top seven pack in the division by three points.

Therefore, a win for Osasuna here on Thursday would see the hosts draw level on points with Bilbao but the hosts have produced a mixed bag of results in the domestic top flight, winning just six of their last 22 games overall, whilst also slipping to 10 defeats in the process as well.

There is a glimmer of hope though for Osasuna as the hosts have won three of their last four games at home, recording victories over Elche, Real Betis and Almeria.

Athletic Bilbao occupy the last European spot in the Spanish top tier and although they recorded a vital 2-1 home win over Celta Vigo last time out, the visitors still have the likes of Girona, Sevilla and Osasuna breathing down their necks and waiting to pounce upon any slip-ups.

Bilbao had previously slumped to four games without a win in La Liga which included three defeats; losses to Sevilla, Real Betis and Villarreal, the latter being a particularly heavy 5-1 thrashing away from home, so Athletic Bilbao have been far from convincing lately in La Liga.

Indeed, the visitors have managed to capture just five wins out of their last 14 matches overall in La Liga while also slipping to six defeats as well within this period so backing the away side for the straight win here on Thursday night looks a highly risky prospect.

The bigger picture also shows Athletic Bilbao have managed just four wins in their last 15 outings on the road in La Liga along with conceding in each of their last six games as well, so the goals market may be the safest option regarding this upcoming fixture at the Estadio El Sadar.

Osasuna v Athletic Bilbao Verdict

Generally, there has been little to choose between these two sides in recent previous exchanges as Osasuna and Athletic Bilbao have capture one win each and there have also been two draws in the last four meetings.

In addition, each of the previous four encounters have resulted in Under 2.5 goals and another tight, low-scoring contest could again be on the cards here.

Therefore, our main bet will be Under 2.5 goals @ 1.73

Other side bets worth considering:

Athletic Bilbao win @ 2.45

Correct score: Athletic Bilbao 1-0 @ 8.00