The Daily Star Ireland
Athletic Bilbao has made a strong impression in the Europa League, collecting 10 points from their first four matches, establishing themselves as one of the top teams in the competition. They began with a 1-1 draw against AS Roma before winning three consecutive matches: 2-0 against AZ Alkmaar, 1-0 over Slavia Prague, and 2-1 against Ludogorets, securing a spot near the top of the group. In La Liga, Bilbao is also meeting expectations, sitting in 6th place ahead of their upcoming derby against Real Sociedad. However, they are currently experiencing a run of three consecutive draws.
On the other hand, Elfsborg has had a mixed performance in the Europa League. After a tough 3-2 loss to AZ Alkmaar, they bounced back with a 1-0 win over AS Roma but were defeated 4-3 in a high-scoring match against Galatasaray. They managed to draw 1-1 with Sporting Braga on the most recent matchday, leaving them in 24th place, the final qualification spot for the play-offs. Elfsborg can focus solely on Europa League fixtures now, as their domestic season concluded earlier in the month with a 7th-place finish.
For this match, Bilbao will be missing key players, including the talented but injury-prone playmaker Sancet, who has scored 4 goals in 10 appearances, and starting goalkeeper Simon, who is still recovering from wrist surgery. However, Alex Berenguer, who has contributed 2 goals and 4 assists in La Liga, is expected to feature.
Bilbao will also rely on Guruzeta (3 goals, 2 assists) and the Williams brothers—Inaki, who has scored 3 goals and provided 4 assists in La Liga and 2 goals in the Europa League, and Nico, the skillful winger.
Elfsborg, meanwhile, will be missing long-term injury absentee striker Per Frick. Their squad also includes full-back Larsson, who previously played for Guingamp, and former Rémois Zeneli, who has scored 5 goals in the league. The team’s key player is Ghanaian forward Baidoo, with 10 goals this season, alongside Hedlund (7 goals) and Qasem (5 goals), who will also be pivotal in the attack.
Prediction
Historically, Elfsborg has struggled on the road, with only 3 out of 20 away games resulting in points. Athletic Bilbao, on the other hand, has been dominant at home, winning 15 of their last 20 matches at this level. Given the disparity in form, Bilbao will be the favorites in this encounter.
Prediction: Athletic Bilbao 1 – 1 Elfsborg.
