Athletic Bilbao vs Elche: the Lions to defeat the Green-striped ones

The Sunday pool of La Liga round 30 will begin with the match between Athletic and Elche. The Basques are listed as the prominent favorites, which is not surprising, considering the home advantage and the qualifications of the future opponents.

Athletic form

In March, the Basques played four official matches in two tournaments. First, the Lions were eliminated from the Copa del Rey, losing at the Mestalla to Valencia 0-1. Then, in the national championship, they were stronger than Levante (3-1), lost to Betis (0-1) in Seville and played a 1-1 draw with Getafe at San Mames. It is worth noting that the Basques won three points against the Citizens. According to xG statistics, the Lions had an index of 2.64, but the Basques were able to score only once. Before the start of round 30, Athletic sit 8th, with an asset of 41 points. There is no doubt that the Basques will retain their place in the elite next season. However, formally, the future hosts still have a chance to compete with Real Sociedad for a place in the top 6.

Elche form

March was a bad month for Elche. Only three matches played and three points scored. First, the home defeat against Barcelona (1-2), then an away win over Granada (1-0) and defeat by Valencia, again at home, 0-1. The results are below average, as is Elche's position in the La Liga table. However, Elche are six points away from the bottom three, so they are definitely not facing relegation. Elche finished 14th in the division with two points in 15 games, three wins, three draws and nine losses on a goal difference of 14-25. Note the high passing ability of Elche in away games.

Injuries and suspensions

• Athletic: Agirrezabala, Alvarez, Iñigo Lekue, Martinez;
• Elche: Mojica, Pastore.

Head-to-head encounters

Athletic and Elche have played 49 matches, the Basques having won 21 times with 16 draws and 12 victories for Elche. The teams have met 45 times in the Primera Division: +19=15-11, 62-44 in favor of Athletic. In Bilbao, the hosts have a huge advantage: 17 wins, six draws and only one win for Elche, with a goal difference of 50-16. Note that the Basques scored an average of more than two goals per game in their home encounters with Elche.

Expert Betting Tips

In the previous round, Athletic should have won and scored at least two goals against their opponent. However, the Basques only managed a draw. We believe that in the upcoming game the Lions will get what they deserve, and we will see a high-scoring face-off with a confident win for the home team. Our first bet is W1+TO (1.5) for 1.85 as offered by 22bet.

We expect Athletic to score at least two goals. This is suggested by a number of indirect reasons. Firstly, the team has to be lucky enough this time. Secondly, Athletic score more than two goals on average against Elche in their home games. Thirdly, in the current season Elche concedes on average more than two goals per game. So, there is little doubt that Athletic are capable of scoring twice on Sunday, but there is some doubt that Elche will be able to score at San Mames. Our second bet for this match is a minus handicap for the home team: H1 (-1.5) for 2.30 by Bet365.

We believe that Athletic will score at least two goals, and more specifically, three. At the same time, we doubt that Elche will be able to score. The third bet: Correct Score 3-0 for 9.50 from 1xbet.

TelecomAsia Sport is looking for South American football tipsters (Argentinian and Brazilian national leagues, Copa Libertadores). Contact jobs@telecomasia.net for more information.