Athletic Bilbao vs Real Sociedad Prediction: 24/11/2024

Athletic Bilbao will face Real Sociedad at the Estadio San Mamés on Sunday in a La Liga clash.

Athletic Bilbao heads into the match after a 1-1 draw with Real Valladolid. They controlled 65% of possession and registered 17 shots, but only one was on target. Gorka Guruzeta scored in the 94th minute for Bilbao, while Raúl Moro equalized for Valladolid. In their last six matches, Athletic Bilbao has conceded just four goals, showing strong defensive form. They are also unbeaten in their last four home league matches.

Real Sociedad, meanwhile, enters the game following a 1-0 victory over Barcelona. Despite having only 30% possession, they made the most of their chances, with Sheraldo Becker scoring the only goal of the match in the 33rd minute. Real Sociedad has scored seven goals in their last six outings, conceding five in that span. They are unbeaten in their last three away league matches but have not won against Athletic Bilbao in their last three away games.

In recent head-to-head meetings, Athletic Bilbao has won three of the last six encounters, while Real Sociedad has won two, with one draw. The overall goal tally from these matches is 18, with Bilbao scoring 10 and Sociedad netting 8, averaging 3 goals per game. Their most recent encounter in January 2024 ended with a 2-1 victory for Athletic Bilbao, thanks to goals from Álex Berenguer, while Mikel Oyarzabal scored for Real Sociedad.

For Athletic Bilbao, Álex Berenguer (muscle injury) and Unai Simón (wrist injury) will miss the match. It is expected that they will play in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Julen Agirrezabala in goal and a starting lineup including Óscar de Marcos, Yeray Álvarez, Aitor Paredes, and Adama Boiro in defense, along with Mikel Jauregizar, Beñat Prados, Nico Serrano, Unai Gómez, Nico Williams, and Gorka Guruzeta.

Real Sociedad will be without Hamari Traoré, who is recovering from a cruciate ligament injury. They are likely to field a 4-2-3-1 formation with Alex Remiro in goal, Jon Aramburu, Aritz Elustondo, Nayef Aguerd, and Aihen Muñoz in defense, and Sergio Gomez, Luka Sucic, Takefusa Kubo, Brais Méndez, Sheraldo Becker, and Mikel Oyarzabal in attack.

 

Prediction

In terms of prediction, it’s expected that Athletic Bilbao will be the stronger side in defense and will find a way to score. A 1-0 victory for Bilbao is predicted, with a close, competitive match. Our expert partners suggest that the total goals for the game will likely be under 3.5.