Athletic Club vs Almeria Predictions & Match Preview

Athletic Club vs Almeria predictions and match preview for Friday’s LaLiga fixture. Read on for analysis, team news and predicted lineups as the hosts aim to climb to 3rd.

Athletic Club vs Almeria Preview

LaLiga returns from the international break in Bilbao with a Friday night clash between Athletic Club and Almeria. This marks the start of a really busy period of club football over the next six weeks before the Spanish top flight pauses for the World Cup.

International breaks in Bilbao are usually something of a rarity at the highest level in that few Athletic players regularly play international football but this one has been a little different. Both Williams brothers made their international debuts over the past fortnight, although for different teams with Iñaki representing Ghana while Nico played for Spain and made a decisive contribution by providing the assist for Alvaro Morata’s late winner in Portugal which ensured La Roja advanced to the UEFA Nations League Finals.

Nico Williams has been one of the breakout stars of the 2022/23 season so far with the talented winger adding a bit more end product to his game than we’d previously seen. That has been an important factor in Athletic’s bright start to life back under Ernesto Valverde’s guidance. They’ve taken 13 points from their opening 6 games and will climb into 3rd with victory here.

They ought to be confident of that against an Almeria side that has lost their last three matches by 1-0 scorelines. They’ve not scored a single goal since Umar Sadiq left the club late in the transfer window and Rubi would have had plenty of food for thought over the past fortnight. They are doing some things well but clearly haven’t found quite the right solution up front so far.

There is talent in this side but it does feel like they’ve taken a big risk by placing so much faith in youth. 20 year old El Bilal Touré partnered 21 year old Largie Ramazani in attack in their last game and there are a host of other players who have come in this summer that are finding their way in the game and far from the finished product. Rubi needs to find some answers and quick otherwise they could very quickly find themselves in trouble.

Team News & Possible Lineups

Athletic Club

Possible XI: Simon – Lekue, Yeray, Martinez, De Marcos – Dani Garcia, Sancet – Berenguer, Muniain, Nico Williams – Inaki Williams (4-2-3-1)

Coach: Ernesto Valverde

Almeria

Possible XI: Fernando – Babic, Kaiky, Ely – Akieme, Samu Costa, Eguaras, Pozo – Robertone – Ramazani, Toure  (3-4-1-2)

Coach: Rubi

Score Prediction: Athletic Club 2-0 Almeria

You have to fancy the hosts here with Almeria currently struggling badly for goals and looking like a team that is still trying to find its way at this level. Athletic will be confident after recent wins and they look to be posing a greater attacking threat this term which can only bode well for their chances in this game and indeed this season as a whole.

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