The Matchday 21 clash in La Liga between Athletic and Leganes will take place on January 26 at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao. Athletic vs. Leganes: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Alejandro Jose Hernandez Hernandez (Spain)
Matches – 9 (La Liga, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 51;
Average yellow cards per match – 5.7;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 29;
Penalties – 33%.
Predicted lineups for Athletic vs. Leganes
Athletic (4-2-3-1): Unai Simon – Yeray Alvarez, Andoni Gorosabel, Adama Boiro, Daniel Vivian – Benat Prados, Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta – Nico Williams, Inaki Williams, Unai Gomez – Alex Berenguer.
Leganes (5-4-1): Marko Dmitrovic – Matija Nastasic, Valentin Rosier, Javi Hernandez Carrera, Sergio Gonzalez, Renato Tapia – Ivan Neyu, Seydouba Cisse, Juan Cruz, Dani Raba – Miguel de la Fuente.
Each team is listed with the starting lineup from their last match in this tournament.
Athletic
Ernesto Valverde's team played their last three matches away from home but navigated this challenging stretch of the championship with honor. First, the club drew with Alaves (1-1), and then they defeated Osasuna and Celta with a score of 2-1. Notably, the team has won six of their last seven matches in La Liga. Thanks to this successful run, the Basques have not only secured a spot in the top four but have also caught up with Barcelona in points (39).
- Athletic's unbeaten streak in La Liga stands at 11 matches (7 wins and 4 draws).
- Both teams scored in 7 of the last 9 games for the club from Bilbao in the championship.
- The number "1" appeared in the final score in 8 of the last 9 matches for the Basques in La Liga.
Leganes
The club from the Madrid suburb once again pulled off a surprise in the last round this season. The team managed to defeat Atletico (1-0) at their stadium. In mid-December, Borja Jimenez's side defeated Barcelona away with the same scoreline. In both cases, Leganes' opponents eventually lost their lead in the championship. Nevertheless, the club is only in 15th place, with just a three-point gap from the relegation zone.
Defender Enric Franquesa will miss the match due to injury.
- At least two goals were scored in 12 of the last 16 matches for the club in La Liga.
- The number "1" appeared in the final score in 6 of Leganes' last 7 away matches in La Liga.
- Both teams scored in 6 of the last 7 away games for the club in the championship.
Athletic vs. Leganes: Match Prediction
The victories of Borja Jimenez's team over the La Liga leaders, with clean sheets, did not affect the bookmakers' odds. Low odds are offered for the Basques' victory, but I believe the visitors can surprise again or at least lose by a narrow margin. I'm confident their strategy will be the same as in the last round – careful defense and relying on counterattacks.
The Basques have been unbeaten in the championship since the beginning of October, but they have not scored three or more goals in their last 10 La Liga matches. Even at home, the team rarely delights with high-scoring football – in their last 16 home matches in La Liga, they have scored three or more goals only twice. While Leganes does not have an impenetrable defense, beating them by a large margin is not easy. In their last 25 matches in the championship, the club from the Madrid suburb has conceded more than two goals only five times.
My prediction – Athletic Individual Total Under 2
