Real Sociedad welcome Athletic Club Bilbao this weekend to the Anoeta in confident mood, having finally picked up their first win of the season midweek.
Real Sociedad Betting News
The pressure was building heavily on David Moyes’ shoulders in the days leading up their clash with Granada on Tuesday.
Indeed, they were yet to win a game, and had only actually scored in one other game – a 3-2 loss at home to Espanyol.
The magnitude of their win at home to Granada cannot be underplayed, and now sets up La Real to be more than a match in the Basque derby on Sunday night.
In the meantime Moyes will be fretting over Alfred N’Diaye and Francisco Molinero who are both sidelined due to injury, meaning that Petros should come into the midfield while Cristian Piccini likely to come back in at right-back.
Athletic Club Bilbao Betting News
Athletic Club Bilbao meanwhile travel to the Anoeta on the back of consecutive losses, though their last game, a 2-1 loss at the Bernabeu, showed much of the fighting spirit which helped the Basque’s finish 4th in the division last season.
The Basque derby poses a prime opportunity for Ernesto Valderde’s men to reignite their season following a tepid few weeks, with Athletic Club looking to break a record of three successive draws against La Real.
Meanwhile Sabin Merino could retain his place on the left after netting a neat header against Real Madrid last time out, while Raul Garcia and Aritz Aduriz will continue as the primary striking threat up top.
Notably, Ernesto Valverde’s men have scored in all but one of their La Liga matches this season.
Real Sociedad vs Athletic Club Bilbao Match Prediction
While always a special occasion, the recent history of the Basque derby indicates Sunday evening’s game will likely be a draw, and the stats don’t like either: Real Sociedad have drawn their last three matches against Athletic Club in all competitions.
Match Betting Tip: Draw and under 2.5 goals @ 3.75 at Bet365
