Athletic Bilbao take on the visitors Granada in the round 32 match of Spanish LaLiga. The match will be played on Friday, April 19th at Estadio San Mamés (Bilbao).
Athletic brought Valverde back to the coaching position in 2023. And it must be admitted that Ernesto's first season back did not meet expectations. His charges managed to lose to Osasuna, and not just once. First, they left the more prestigious neighbor without reaching the decisive round of the Copa del Rey, losing in the semifinals, and then finished 7th in La Liga, missing out on European competition. But faith in the Ant is paying off now. Of course, the victory in the national cup stands out. Yes, they scraped through the final against the modest Mallorca only in a penalty shootout. But firstly, on their way there, they managed to eliminate both Barcelona and Atletico. Secondly, this is the first Copa del Rey win since the 80s, and how many lost finals there were! And it can't be said that the season ended there. In Bilbao, they are not against winning the race for 4th place against Atletico - the mattresses don't look like such clear favorites, and have already lost their coveted position. And in the last round, playing with a numerical advantage against Villarreal, they allowed the opponent to earn and convert a penalty just before the final whistle.
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Granada proved to be not competitive in La Liga. The Nasrids recently dropped to the Segunda. Then the return was triumphant: they qualified for the Europa League, reaching the playoffs. But all this was under Diego Martinez Pena, and the first season after his departure brought relegation from the top division. Yes, they immediately returned in 2023. But if everything worked out in the Segunda, where the team finished last season as leaders, now at a higher level, they are clearly failing. If there is any competition, it's with another obvious outsider, Almeria, over who will be weaker and drop from the bottom. And the fact that they will have to start from a lower level in the summer is certain - there are almost no victories, minimal points. But in the last round, they unexpectedly defeated Alaves, with a 2-0 scoreline.
The Basques are generally rated much higher. But recently, their head-to-head duels have not been successful. The Nasrids have won half of their last 6 matches, and this season ended in a draw. The Basques simply have to pull themselves together, remember that there is an ambitious goal in La Liga. They are obliged to beat such an opponent at home with a handicap of -1.5 goals scored.
Prediction for the match: Athletic to win with -1.0 handicap.
