Last Updated on January 10, 2024 5:07 pm by Erwin Noguera
LaLiga has a derby on its 20th matchday, as the Basque Country will see a duel between Athletic Club and Real Sociedad, two teams fighting for a place in European tournaments.
The Lions had an important 2-0 away victory over Sevilla and are dreaming of moving to third place in the table.
The Donostiarras had a chance to get closer to the Champions League places but drew 1-1 at home against Alavés and is moving away from Athletic.
When and Where?
Saturday, January 13th, 12:30 pm ET at San Mamés
Moneyline odds:
Athletic Club 2.1
Real Sociedad 3.93
Draw Offs:
3.505
Where Can I Watch?
Why Bet on Athletic Club?
Athletic Club was coming from a couple of very irregular seasons, but now it has taken a high level and is occupying fourth place in LaLiga.
With goals from Mikel Vesga and Aitor Paredes, they beat Sevilla 2-0 away, which gives them 38 points, 10 behind the leaders, Real Madrid and Girona. Barcelona, third and who will not play this weekend because they are in Saudi Arabia playing the Spanish Super Cup, are three points above and with a worse goal difference, so they could overtake them.
So far, Ernesto Valverde’s team has 11 wins, five draws, and only three defeats. They have 12 matches without losing (nine wins), and the last time they lost was on October 22, when they were beaten 1-0 by Barcelona. Only one loss was at home, on the first matchday against Real Madrid (0-2).
A very interesting fact about this team is that it has four games without conceding a goal. Moreover, if we broaden the spectrum, they have only seen their goal vulnerated once in the last seven matches.
Thanks to these numbers, Athletic is the third-best defense in LaLiga, conceding 19 goals. Only Real Madrid (11) and Las Palmas (17) have done better at the back.
Iñaki Williams and Gorka Guruzeta have contributed eight goals each during this Spanish soccer season.
Among the injured for the Bilbao side are Yeray Álvarez and Dani García.
Why Bet on Real Sociedad?
Real Sociedad this season has had to face one more tournament, the UEFA Champions League, achieving its place in the round of 16. However, this has cost them some points in LaLiga.
The last meeting of the Spanish league ended with a 1-1 draw against Alavés, thanks to a goal at the end of the game by Martin Zubimendi.
The team coached by Imanol Alguacil is in sixth place with 32 points, and they are in the next Conference League. However, they are six points behind Atletico Madrid and Athletic, so a win in the derby could close the gap.
Real’s defensive numbers are equal to those of their classic rivals: 19 goals conceded. However, the problem for this team is their poor run, as they have drawn in their last three games (plus a tie against Inter in the Champions League). Their last league victory dates to December 8, when they defeated Villarreal 3-0 as visitors, while on January 7, in their most recent game, they defeated Málaga 0-1 in the Copa del Rey.
Real Sociedad has collected 13 points in nine away games, conceding only eight goals. Mikel Oyarzabal is the club’s top scorer with seven.
The only player on the injured list is Portuguese striker André Silva.
Final Betting Analysis: Athletic Club vs. Real Sociedad
The last game between the two was a resounding 3-0 win for Sociedad on September 30, 2023, while the last time at Athletic’s home ended 2-0 in favor of the Bilbao side.
The numbers at 1XBET have Athletic Club as the favorite. The Moneyline for them shows 2.1, while Real Sociedad has 3.93, and the draw is at 3.51.
This match has a clear favorite to take the three points, and that is Athletic Club, who based on their great streak and very good defense will take the Basque derby.
Go for a straight win for the Athletic Club in the Moneyline. If you bet $100 at 2.1, you will gain $110 for a total payout of $210.
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