Athletic Bilbao approach this match from a less favorable strategic position. He has 2 days less time to rest and prepare than Betis, which may affect the physical condition of the players. In addition, the Lions can not boast of a stable game in the last 5 rounds. Only outsiders like Espanyol (2:1) or Almeria were able to significantly exceed the number of expected goals scored (xg).

It is worth noting that Athletic are doing great defensively, especially at home. In terms of the expected number of goals conceded (xga = 0.89), it is second only to Barcelona.

Betis are in terrible form and could leave the European Cup zone after this round. Manuel Pellegrini’s team in the last 6 games defeated only Espanyol (3:1) and dropped to 6th place in the table.

One of the main problems of green and white is the lack of a positive balance. They are often too caught up in the attack their opponents are using (xga = 1.35). At the same time, in terms of the expected number of goals scored (xg = 1.4), Betis is in the top four.

Too much cost of error could force both teams to play more cautiously, while Athletic’s superior defense would contribute to a low score. In the first round match, the opponents created 0.9 xg for the two.