Athletic Bilbao take on the visitors Atletico Madrid in the round 4 match of Spanish LaLiga. The match will be played on Saturday, August 31st at Estadio San Mames (Bilbao).
Athletic are a historic powerhouse in Spanish football, one of only three clubs to have never been relegated from La Liga. However, due to their unique recruitment policy, which focuses solely on local talent, they haven’t achieved significant results in a long time. In 2022, Ernesto Valverde began his second tenure at Bilbao. While the previous season showed modest progress, this past spring they managed to win the Copa del Rey, exactly 40 years after their last triumph. They also had a shot at finishing in the top four in La Liga, but the intense focus on the cup left them just short. Fortunately, they retained Nico Williams over the summer. Without the European champion, they managed only a 1-1 draw with Getafe and narrowly lost to Barcelona 2-1. It wasn’t until their match against Valencia that they secured their first win of the season.
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Atlético Madrid underwent significant changes this summer. Last season, the Colchoneros made strides in both the Champions League and the Copa del Rey. However, their cup run ended in the semifinals with a pair of defeats to Athletic Bilbao. Atlético also barely held onto fourth place in La Liga, finishing just above Girona. It seems Diego Simeone took this as a sign to revamp the squad. The departures of Savic, Hermoso, Saúl Ñíguez, Omorodion, and Morata, along with Joao Félix’s loan to Chelsea, signaled a new direction. In return, they secured Gallagher from London, along with earlier additions like Serlon, Le Normand, and Álvarez. The Norwegian striker scored in his debut against his former club Villarreal, though the match ended in a 2-2 draw. They went on to thrash Girona 3-0, but were held to a goalless draw by Espanyol.
Last season in La Liga, the teams exchanged victories. In the Copa del Rey semifinals, Athletic won both legs. Atlético Madrid is favored, but both teams have had less than stellar starts. A bet on "under 2.5 goals" seems reasonable.
Prediction for the match: Under 2.5 scored goals.
