Mid-table Athletic Bilbao will be looking to extend their unbeaten run in La Liga to three matches on Thursday evening when they play host to high-flying Real Sociedad at their San Mamés Barria following a win and a draw in recent times.
Athletic Bilbao secured a valuable three points with a 2-0 home win against Huesca and then followed that up with a solid point on the road courtesy of a 1-1 draw at Villarreal but the hosts are still seven points adrift of the top six in the Spanish top flight.
😏 Aunque todos sabemos que el gol más especial para todos los athleticzales fue este…🎥 @yuriberchiche 🆚 @GranadaCdeF#TopGolAthletic2020 #AthleticClub 🦁 pic.twitter.com/30WVSXV34q— Athletic Club (@AthleticClub) December 29, 2020
😏 Aunque todos sabemos que el gol más especial para todos los athleticzales fue este…🎥 @yuriberchiche 🆚 @GranadaCdeF#TopGolAthletic2020 #AthleticClub 🦁 pic.twitter.com/30WVSXV34q
The fact that Athletic Bilbao have managed to pick up just the one win out of their last six matches obviously hasn’t helped matters, although results at home have been encouraging for Bilbao as the hosts have won four of their six matches to date.
Victories over Levante, Sevilla, Real Betis and Huesca should give Athletic Bilbao reason to be confident here but they’ll be up against a solid looking Real Sociedad outfit on Thursday night who have been consistent this term, while four of Bilbao’s six home matches have resulted in under 2.5 goals.
Real Sociedad currently sit in 3rd place in the La Liga table but find themselves six points behind the two Madrid clubs at the top of La Liga, Atletico and Real, heading into this midweek clash in Bilbao.
Real Sociedad were amongst the front-runners at the top of the Spanish top flight earlier in the season but a dismal run of six league matches without a win has resulted in the visitors dropping out of the title race and it now appears they’re fighting for a top four finish at best.
The visitors have lost their last three matches on the trot having suffered defeats against Barcelona, Levante and Atletico Madrid, while also failing to win any of their last three away matches as well.
Prior to the losses at Barcelona and Levante, Real Sociedad had put together an impressive six-match unbeaten start on their travels but their early season form has since seemed to have eluded the visitors.
Real Sociedad may therefore be happy to pick up a point here as they look to tighten things up at the back in order to avoid another defeat, and as three of the previous four meetings at the San Mamés Barria have ended in under 2.5 goals, this could also be another low-scoring affair.