Real Valladolid vs Athletic Club Predictions & Match Preview

Real Valladolid vs Athletic Club predictions and match preview for Friday’s LaLiga fixture. Read on for analysis, team news and predicted lineups as Ernesto Valverde takes his team to the Jose Zorrilla.

Real Valladolid vs Athletic Club Preview

The final LaLiga matchday before the international break kicks off at the Jose Zorrilla with a meeting between Real Valladolid and Athletic Club. Both sides are in need of the points and a home win would really set Pacheta’s team up well for the run-in as they bid to avoid relegation.

Indeed, Real Valladolid would only be 2 points behind Athletic were they to win this match. That’s testament to how competitive they have been on their return to the top flight but also the congested nature of this league with very little to separate the teams from mid-table down. While their overall form has been patchy, Real Valladolid are doing a good job of bouncing back from poor displays and have won 3 of their last 7 to edge further away from trouble.

Their home results have been key this season. They average 1.67 points per game at the Jose Zorrilla, winning exactly half of their outings in front of their own fans. Win here and they’d be on 23 home points, a tally that is only currently bettered by Barcelona and Real Madrid so Real Valladolid deserve perhaps a bit more credit than they get.

As for Athletic Club, these are slightly concerning times as it’s just 2 wins from 11 league games since the World Cup. Their tally of just 9 points during that period is the same as bottom club Elche, so Ernesto Valverde is enduring one of the toughest spells across his three stints in Bilbao.

However, all is certainly not lost. They played well against Barcelona last weekend and warranted at least a point from the game with Inaki Williams having a late goal controversially ruled out by VAR that would have levelled things up. They still have the 2nd Leg of a Copa del Rey Semi-Final to look forward to and will seek to use the international period as a chance to regroup and refocus ahead of that match and also the run-in in LaLiga as they target European qualification.

Team News & Possible Lineups

Real Valladolid

Possible XI: Asenjo – Escudero, Javi Sanchez, El Yamiq, Fresneda – Aguado, Kike Perez – Ivan Sanchez, Plano, Plata – Larin (4-2-3-1)

Coach: Pacheta

Athletic

Possible XI: Agirrezabala – Yuri, Inigo Martinez, Yeray, De Marcos – Vesga, Dani Garcia – Berenguer, Sancet, N. Williams – I. Williams (4-2-3-1)

Coach: Ernesto Valverde

Score Prediction: Real Valladolid 0-0 Athletic Club

Real Valladolid are the joint lowest scorers in the division and it’s hard to see much goalmouth action here with Athletic solid defensively, but also firing blanks a bit too frequently. It’s likely to be an even game and there’s every chance it will finish up all square unless somebody can produce a moment of genuine quality.

PLEASE NOTE – Our LaLiga predictions are not betting tips! No profits are guaranteed if you’re using them to bet on Spanish football. If you are gambling, do so responsibly and never stake more than you can afford to lose. BeGambleAware.