Athletic Bilbao vs Real Betis

Athletic Bilbao and Real Betis will face off against each other in an intriguing La Liga showdown at the Estadio San Mames.

After missing out on a European qualification last season, Athletic Bilbao headed into the new La Liga campaign looking to better an underwhelming 8th-place finish before Real Madrid crushed their dreams with a 2-0 win at San Mames on matchday one. Unfazed by an early upset, Ernesto Valverde’s men found their way to only their second win in ten La Liga matches (D2, L6), overcoming Osasuna 2-0 last weekend. That success also marked Bilbao’s first clean sheet in the top flight since a 2-0 home triumph over Real Sociedad in mid-April, ending a dreadful run of ten league games without a shutout. That could inspire the hosts’ bid to register back-to-back La Liga victories for the first time in nine matches.

However, visiting Real Betis won’t roll over, especially on the back of an impressive league start, having toppled Villarreal 2-1 at La Ceramica on the opening weekend before holding Atletico Madrid to a goalless draw on home turf. Playing on the road suits ‘Los Verdiblancos’ perfectly, as they’ve won three of their last four away league matches (D1), conceding an average of just 0.5 goals per game. That said, they had lost eight consecutive La Liga visits to San Mames before eking out a 1-0 win in this corresponding fixture in May. That victory marked Betis’ first clean sheet in La Liga action at Bilbao since 2007!