Athletic Bilbao vs Girona prediction 19.02.2024

• Competition: La Liga
• Date: Monday, 19th February 2024
• Kickoff: 20:00 UTC / 21:00 CET
• Venue: Estadio San Mamés (Bilbao)

In recent years, Athletic Bilbao has largely been a middle-of-the-pack team, even failing to qualify for Europe in the last half-dozen seasons. However, this season sees the Basques performing exceptionally well, currently sitting in 5th place with 46 points and just a two-point gap from the coveted 4th place and Champions League spot. The possibility of securing a spot in either the Europa League or Europa Conference League looks very promising. The team has also been performing well in the Cup, making it to the Semi-Finals and earning a 1:0 victory in their away match against Atletico Madrid. The next two to three weeks are crucial for Bilbao as they face formidable opponents: Girona, Betis, Atletico Madrid (in the Cup), and Barcelona.

Girona have been a delightful surprise in contemporary football. They managed to keep up with Real Madrid for most of the season, however, their hopes for the title are gradually crumbling after the recent loss in the head to head match. As it stands, they are in second place, trailing five points behind Los Blancos, and ten points away from their next competitor, Athletic Bilbao. Despite their impressive performance this season, it seems they are starting to lose steam.

Athletic Bilbao vs Girona pick: Athletic Bilbao to win

The most significant change in Bilbao’s performance this year is their impressive home record. They have shown exceptional performance throughout the season, securing victories in nine out of 12 matches with a single loss to Real Madrid. Notably, their defensive play has been outstanding recently, as evidenced by their maintaining a clean sheet in the last four games across all competitions.

Girona has only managed to secure a single victory in their last four matches across all competitions. Their most recent defeat, a 4:0 routing by Real Madrid, was particularly disappointing as they were thoroughly outplayed by Los Blancos. This defeat essentially puts the title beyond their grasp and is likely to significantly dampen team morale.

In the last head-to-head match, there was a 1:1 draw in an intensely competitive game at Estadio Municipal de Montilivi in Girona. Now, playing on their home ground, we predict Bilbao will take advantage of Girona’s slightly diminished form and clinch their ninth successive home victory.