Athletic Club vs Valencia
Match recap
Valencia beat Athletic Club 1–0 in their La Liga fixture. Sadiq scored for Valencia. Expected-goals data put the chance balance at 1.01 for Athletic Club versus 1.14 for Valencia. Athletic Club sit 12th in the La Liga table while Valencia are 9th.
Analysis
Athletic Club hosts Valencia in what promises to be a tightly contested La Liga fixture. Both teams have shown resilience this season, and with key players missing, a cautious approach is likely.
Athletic Club currently sit 8th with 44 points, while Valencia are 13th with 39 points after 34 games. Both sides have had mixed results recently, making this match crucial for their league standings.
Athletic Club's top scorer Gorka Guruzeta, despite injury, remains a key figure when fit, supported by Yuri's creative set-piece deliveries. Valencia's Hugo Duro leads their attack but defensive discipline issues could be costly. Both teams have shown scoring ability but also defensive vulnerabilities, suggesting a balanced game.
Prediction
The forecast is a 1-1 draw, reflecting the evenly matched nature of the teams. A goalless first half is expected, with both sides finding the net in the second. Four cards are likely, given the competitive edge and defensive challenges.
Outcome probability
Key Insights
Multiple Key Players Missing for Athletic Club
Top scorer Guruzeta and key attackers Williams and Sancet are injured, reducing attacking options.
Yuri's Set-Piece and Wide Play Influence
Yuri's high assist rate and passing accuracy provide Athletic Club with creative width and set-piece threat.
Valencia's Defensive Discipline Concerns
Valencia defenders have high card rates and injury absences, potentially weakening defense.
Athletic Club's Recent Scoring Streak at Home
Athletic Club has scored in last 3 home games, showing attacking momentum despite injuries.
Guruzeta's Consistent Scoring Against Similar Opponents
Guruzeta has scored multiple goals against mid-table teams, indicating reliability as a scorer.
Key Takeaways
In summary, expect a competitive match with both teams sharing points. Athletic Club's home advantage and Valencia's resilience should produce a fair 1-1 draw, keeping fans on the edge without a clear winner.
- Athletic Club is 8th with 44 points from 34 games (W13 D5 L16).
- Valencia is 13th with 39 points from 34 games (W10 D9 L15).
- Gorka Guruzeta is Athletic Club's top scorer with 9 goals in 31 games.
- Yuri leads Athletic Club in assists with 4 and boasts 87% passing accuracy.
- Hugo Duro is Valencia's top scorer with 9 goals in 31 games.
- Valencia defenders have a high card rate, indicating potential disciplinary issues.
- Athletic Club has scored in their last 3 home games, showing attacking momentum.
Player Insights
Standout players Fipster expects to impact the match — curated highlights, not full squad lists
Home — Athletic Club
Away — Valencia
Form as the teams went into this match — excludes this result and anything since.
Team Comparison
Season shape — attack, defence, form, clean sheets & win rate
Home vs Away comparison
Goal difference in each of the last few fixtures — above the line is a net win, below is a net loss
Season comparison
Goals scored & conceded, goal difference and clean sheets across the season
Halftime Performance
What each side does once the whistle goes for half time
Streaks
Recent-form runs — each side’s most-recent game meets in the middle
Head to Head
Aymeric Laporte
Yellow Card
Nico Williams
Aymeric Laporte
Cömert
Yellow Card
Rego
Yellow Card
Pepelu
Yellow Card
Sancet
Pepelu
Robert Navarro
López
Duro
Rego
Sadiq
Assist: Luis Rioja
Javi Guerra
Sadiq
Yellow Card
Saravia
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Barcelona | 38 | 31 | 1 | 6 | +59 | 94 |
| 8 |  Rayo Vallecano | 38 | 12 | 14 | 12 | -3 | 50 |
| 9 |  Valencia | 38 | 13 | 10 | 15 | -9 | 49 |
| 10 |  Real Sociedad | 38 | 11 | 13 | 14 | -2 | 46 |
| 11 |  Espanyol | 38 | 12 | 10 | 16 | -12 | 46 |
| 12 |  Athletic Club | 38 | 13 | 6 | 19 | -15 | 45 |
| 13 |  Sevilla | 38 | 12 | 7 | 19 | -14 | 43 |
Match Statistics
Athletic Club
4-2-3-1Starting XI
- 1Unai SimónG
- 2GorosabelD
- 5YerayD
- 8Oihan SancetM
- 10Nico WilliamsM
- 11Gorka GuruzetaF
- 14Aymeric LaporteD
- 17YuriD
- 18Mikel JauregizarM
- 23Robert NavarroM
- 30Alejandro RegoM
Substitutes
- 3Dani VivianD
- 4Aitor ParedesD
- 6Mikel VesgaM
- 7Álex BerenguerF
- 9I. WilliamsF
- 12Jesús AresoD
- 15LekueD
- 19A. BoiroD
- 20Unai GómezM
- 22Nico SerranoF
- 25Urko IzetaF
- 27Álex PadillaG
Valencia
4-2-3-1Starting XI
- 1S. DimitrievskiG
- 2G. RodríguezM
- 5César TárregaD
- 8Javi GuerraM
- 9Hugo DuroF
- 11Luis RiojaM
- 14José GayàD
- 16Diego LópezM
- 18PepeluM
- 20R. SaraviaD
- 24E. CömertD
Substitutes
- 4Unai NúñezD
- 6U. SadiqF
- 7A. DanjumaF
- 10André AlmeidaM
- 13Cristian RiveroG
- 17L. RamazaniF
- 19Dani RabaF
- 21Jesús VázquezD
- 22B. SantamaríaM
- 23F. UgrinicM
- 25Julen AgirrezabalaG
- 26Rubo IranzoD
Athletic Club
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unai Simón | G | 90 | 7.2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nico Williams | M | 36 | 7.0 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1/2 |
| Aymeric Laporte | D | 45 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Yuri Berchiche | D | 90 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gorka Guruzeta | F | 90 | 6.9 | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| Andoni Gorosabel | D | 90 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — |
| Robert Navarro | M | 70 | 6.9 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 3/3 |
| Oihan Sancet | M | 65 | 6.9 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — |
| Alejandro Rego Mora | M | 71 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | — | 1/2 |
| Mikel Jauregizar | M | 90 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0/2 |
| Yeray Álvarez(C) | D | 90 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/1 |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Íñigo Lekue | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jesús Areso | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Urko Izeta | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Aitor Paredes | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nico Serrano | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Alex Padilla | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Adama Boiro | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mikel Vesga | M | 19 | 6.7 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1/1 |
| Iñaki Williams | F | 54 | 6.3 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0/2 |
| Unai Gómez | M | 20 | 6.3 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| Dani Vivian | D | 45 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Álex Berenguer | F | 25 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0/1 |
Valencia
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stole Dimitrievski | G | 90 | 8.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| José Luis Gayà(C) | D | 90 | 7.9 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/1 |
| Eray Cömert | D | 90 | 7.7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Renzo Saravia | D | 89 | 7.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/1 |
| Guido Rodríguez | M | 90 | 7.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1/3 |
| Luis Rioja | M | 90 | 7.0 | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — |
| César Tárrega | D | 90 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | — | 1/2 |
| Javier Guerra | M | 83 | 6.7 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 0/3 |
| Pepelu | M | 70 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 1/1 |
| Diego López | M | 70 | 6.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/2 |
| Hugo Duro | F | 70 | 5.9 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Arnaut Danjuma | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jesús Vázquez | D | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cristian Rivero | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dani Raba | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Baptiste Santamaria | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| André Almeida | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Julen Agirrezabala | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rubén Iranzo | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Umar Sadiq | F | 20 | 7.3 | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | — | — |
| Filip Ugrinić | M | 20 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Unai Núñez | D | 16 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Largie Ramazani | F | 20 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/1 |