Atletico Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao
Atletico Madrid will be seeking some home comfort when they host Athletic Bilbao for their next La Liga contest at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Saturday, and they badly need three points out of this fixture.
Diego Simeone’s side is in a freefall, losing their last four in the Spanish top-flight. And overall, they dropped seven of their last eight across all competitions. As a result, they’re stuck in fourth place with 57 points, though they still have an eight-point cushion from fifth place. They also missed out on their best chance of a trophy after their penalty shootout defeat against Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey final.
Athletic Bilbao are five notches below Atletico Madrid in the La Liga standings. However, Los Leones are coming off a 1-0 win against Osasuna to keep their European football hopes alive.
Talking Points
Atletico Madrid’s defence is worrying
Atletico Madrid have had it rough lately because their backline has faltered. Ever since their 1-0 win against Getafe last month, Diego Simeone’s men have conceded at least two goals in seven of their last eight matches in all competitions.
Their porous defence reared its ugly head against Elche, who were playing with house money last night to veer away from the drop zone. Nicolas Gonzalez drew first blood in the 10th minute, but Elche took the lead through David Affengruber and Andre Silva before Gonzalez scored the equaliser to complete his brace.
Thiago Almada received his marching orders somewhere in between Affengruber, Silva, and Gonzalez’s first-half goals for pulling back Affengruber inside the area after losing the football. That completely changed the trajectory of the match, as Atletico Madrid played an hour with only 10 men, and Silva scored the winner in the 75th minute.
What made the loss damning for Atleti is that Elche had them playing on the back foot. Robin Le Normand was the only bright spot in the rearguard, as Clement Lenglet, Javier Bonar, Julio Diaz, and goalkeeper Jan Oblak struggled. Atletico Madrid certainly miss the services of David Hancko and Jose Gimenez, but the two defenders are fitness doubts this weekend, alongside Ademola Lookman and Alexander Sorloth.
Athletic Bilbao need more from the Williams brothers
After missing several games due to a groin injury, Nico Williams is back as a starter for Athletic Bilbao, and the Spanish winger has reunited with his older brother, Inaki, on the wings in the past two games. Neither of them has been on the scoresheet since their 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano last February, and Los Leones need them to produce again in the next few weeks.
Nico and Inaki Williams will likely start again this weekend, with top scorer Gorka Guruzeta – with eight goals – as their striker, and Oihan Sancet as the No. 10 in the final third. With Mikel Jauregizar suspended, Alex Berenguer could take his place in the middle of the park.
History
Athletic Bilbao are gunning for a league double over Atletico Madrid, following a 1-0 victory at San Mames back in December, where Alex Berenguer scored the matchwinner in the 85th minute. Los Leones have won four of their last seven matches against Los Rojiblancos in all competitions.
As mentioned, Atletico Madrid are on a four-game losing streak in the league, and they could drop five straight top-flight matches for the first time since 1942. Diego Simeone’s men can at least cling to their robust home record this term (W13, D1, L2), scoring at least three goals in seven of those wins.
Athletic Bilbao have only won three La Liga away games this campaign (D3, L9), with two of those wins coming against the cellar dwellers, Levante and Real Oviedo.
Betting Tip
The SBOTOP La Liga 2026 odds predict Atletico Madrid to end their four-game losing streak this weekend at the expense of Athletic Bilbao. Los Rojiblancos are priced to win at 2.17, while Los Leones aren’t far behind at 3.01, and a draw is at 3.23 in the 1X2 market. Atletico Madrid must tap into their defensive identity to pull this one off. And if they do, La Liga 2026 highlights will be limited at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Saturday. Besides our recommended bet, you can add Under 2.50 at 1.98, Under 2.75 at 1.74, and Total Goal 0-1 at 3.22 as the bolder alternative. Meanwhile, the Correct Score of 1-0 in favour of Athletic Bilbao – the result of their last league encounter – is on offer at a mouthwatering 10.00 your bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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