Rayo Vallecano vs Athletic Bilbao Prediction & Match Preview

Rayo Vallecano vs Athletic Bilbao Prediction

Rayo Vallecano will host Athletic Bilbao in the final Matchday of the season on Saturday afternoon at Estadio de Vallecas. Neither team have much to play for on the final day. Bilbao will finish 5th while Rayo Vallecano could push for the 14th position with a victory here.

• Rayo Vallecano lost three of the last five league affairs.
• Athletic Bilbao secured the 5th-place finish with a 2-0 victory over Sevilla last Sunday.
• Rayo failed to find the back of the net in four of the previous five league matches.
• Athletic Bilbao celebrated a commanding 4-0 victory in the return match played in December last year at San Mames Barria.
• The Basques have generally been the dominant force in the history of this matchup. They won 17, drew 10, and lost only 6 of the previous 33 encounters with Rayo Vallecano.
• Three or more goals were scored in four of the previous six head-to-head affairs between these counterparts.

Athletic Bilbao locked the 5th place in the league standings with a 2-0 victory over Sevilla last Sunday. Raul Garcia and Iker Muniain made the difference with early goals. The Basques’ back line held on to keep a big clean sheet. The Leones will represent Spain in the UEFA Europa League next year.

Rayo Vallecano had to succumb to a 0-3 defeat at Barcelona last weekend. They did have their chances but failed to convert in front of ter-Stegen’s goal. Nevertheless, the team have already accomplished the main goal for the season by securing the top-flight survival.

Athletic Bilbao have dominated this matchup historically and we fancy their chances of continuing the trend on the final day of the 2023/24 La Liga campaign. Neither team have anything but pride to play for on the last day of the season.

The visitors possess more quality in their ranks, though. Even if Ernesto Valverde rotates his starting XI on Sunday, Bilbao should still be closer to victory than Rayo.

The hosts lost three of the last five league games. They failed to find the back of the net in four of the previous five La Liga fixtures. They suffered a tough 0-4 defeat to Bilbao in this season’s reverse game. We will take the 2.37 odds offered for the away win pick here.

Under 2.5 goals pick represents a decent alternative betting option at the 2.00 odds. Bilbao kept Sevilla at bay in a 2-0 victory last weekend. Rayo Vallecano have been struggling for goals of late. They will rely on defence, having conceded only five goals in the previous seven home outings in the league.

Steffen Schmidt- May 23, 2024

Rayo Vallecano vs Athletic Bilbao Betting Tips

Athletic Bilbao to win

OK

2.35 Odds

Under 2.5 goals

OK

1.86 Odds

Correct Score: Athletic Bilbao 2-0

OK

11.00 Odds