Spanish La Liga
2025-12-22 - Ath Bilbao vs Espanyol
A Sports Betting Pick by ArmchairPunter
Football : Spain: La Liga
Venue: San Mamés
Monday 22nd December 2025, 2000hrs (GMT)
Athletic Bilbao bounced back from their previous 2-0 defeat away from home at Celta Vigo in last weekend’s La Liga action in midweek when Monday night’s hosts registered a 1-0 win on the road at Ourense in the Copa del Rey.
Athletic’s manager, Ernesto Valverde, will be hoping his side can use that recent cup win to re-boot their La Liga campaign with all three points when they play host to 5th placed Espanyol on Monday night but recent results have been something of a mixed bag.
Just three wins registered out of their last eight matches, two of which were in La Liga with victories gained over Levante 2-0 and Atletico Madrid 1-0 respectively suggest the straight win markets are best avoided for this upcoming encounter.
Instead, a lack of goals looks the best option on Monday night as six out of Athletic Club’s nine home games to date have resulted in Under 2.5 goals.
Espanyol slipped up against non-leaguers Atletico Baleares in the Copa del Rey earlier this month but the visitors nevertheless bring a four-game winning streak in the domestic top flight into Monday night’s clash at San Mamés.
Recent important wins against the likes of Sevilla 2-1, Celta Vigo 1-0, Rayo Vallecano 1-0 and Getafe 1-0 have helped lift Manolo Gonzalez’s side up into possible European contention for next season while keeping clean sheets in three of these four games.
However, a fairly ordinary looking away record which stands at 3-2-2 7/6 also suggests Espanyol should not be trusted on their travels but instead back the goals market - indeed, five out of Espanyol’s seven away games to date have also resulted in Under 2.5 goals.
The Betting Verdict
Five of the last eight meetings between Athletic Bilbao and Espanyol have resulted in Under 2.5 goals.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Ath. Bilbao 1-1 Espanyol
