The Daily Star Ireland
Athletic Bilbao will host Real Sociedad at the Estadio San Mamés on Sunday in a La Liga showdown.
Athletic Bilbao enters the match following a 1-1 draw with Real Valladolid. They controlled 65% of possession and took 17 shots, although only one was on target. Gorka Guruzeta scored a last-minute equalizer for Bilbao, while Raúl Moro found the net for Valladolid. In their last six games, Bilbao has shown solid defensive form, conceding only four goals, and they are unbeaten in their last four home league matches.
Real Sociedad, on the other hand, comes into the game after a 1-0 win against Barcelona. Despite having just 30% possession, they made the most of their opportunities, with Sheraldo Becker scoring the only goal in the 33rd minute. Real Sociedad has scored seven goals in their past six matches, conceding five. They are unbeaten in their last three away games but have not won against Athletic Bilbao in their last three visits to San Mamés.
Looking at recent head-to-head meetings, Athletic Bilbao has won three of the last six encounters, while Real Sociedad has won twice, with one match ending in a draw. In these games, the teams have scored 18 goals combined, with Bilbao netting 10 and Sociedad scoring 8, averaging 3 goals per game. Their most recent match in January 2024 saw Athletic Bilbao come out on top with a 2-1 victory, with Álex Berenguer scoring both goals for Bilbao, while Mikel Oyarzabal scored for Sociedad.
Athletic Bilbao will be without Álex Berenguer, who is sidelined due to a muscle injury, and Unai Simón, who has a wrist injury. The team is expected to play in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Julen Agirrezabala in goal and a defense lineup consisting of Óscar de Marcos, Yeray Álvarez, Aitor Paredes, and Adama Boiro. In midfield and attack, Mikel Jauregizar, Beñat Prados, Nico Serrano, Unai Gómez, Nico Williams, and Gorka Guruzeta are likely to feature.
Real Sociedad will be missing Hamari Traoré, who is recovering from a cruciate ligament injury. They are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Alex Remiro in goal and a defense including Jon Aramburu, Aritz Elustondo, Nayef Aguerd, and Aihen Muñoz. In midfield and attack, they will likely field Sergio Gomez, Luka Sucic, Takefusa Kubo, Brais Méndez, Sheraldo Becker, and Mikel Oyarzabal.
Prediction
Athletic Bilbao is anticipated to be the stronger side defensively and should manage to secure a narrow 1-0 victory. The match is expected to be close and competitive, with fewer than 3.5 total goals.
