Athletic Club will look back on a positive record against Alaves as the two sides prepare to face off in Saturday’s derby.
Alaves made a rock-solid start to the new La Liga campaign, with 10 points from their first four matches.
However, two defeats on the bounce since then have taken the shine off their early success.
They visit rivals Athletic Club, who have had a very different but similarly successful campaign thus far in what should be an intriguing derby clash.
Athletic Club v Alaves Tips Summary
Best Bet - Athletic Club to win and both teams to score @ 13/5
Alternative Bet - Nico Williams to score or assist @ 20/21
Bet Builder - Over 2 goals, Lucas Boye 1+ shots on target, Lucas Boye to be booked @ 13/2
Athletic Club v Alaves Prediction
Best Bet: Athletic Club to win and both teams to score @ 13/5
Athletic Club may have lost their first two games of the season but they came against a rampant Barcelona side and a Sevilla team who have also been in fine form.
Since then, they have beaten Celta Vigo and Atletico Madrid before drawing with Elche. A waterlogged pitch saw their midweek clash with Levante postponed, so the hosts have had a full week to prepare for this derby clash against Alaves.
The visitors started the campaign strongly with wins over Getafe, Villarreal and Osasuna but their form has taken a run recently after losing back-to-back games against Racing Santander and Valencia.
They have a poor record in this derby and they may struggle to deal with an Athletic Club side who are finding their feet. Alaves’ away games do tend to be entertaining, with seven of their last eight in the league seeing both teams score, and the Blue and Whites are fancied to get on the scoresheet in this one.
However, Quique Sanchez Flores’ men can be leaky at the back and could just be edged out by their rivals in this clash. Take both teams to score in an Athletic Club win.
Alternative Bet: Nico Williams to score or assist @ 20/21
Despite his relative youth, Nico Williams has long been a key player for this Athletic Club side but injuries have been a major issue for the winger in recent years.
He is now fit and firing though and is fancied to play a big part in this clash, with the 24-year-old looking to add to his first goal of the season against Atletico Madrid.
Williams scored six goals and registered three assists in 20 La Liga starts last term, he could add to his tally for this campaign here.
Athletic Club v Alaves Bet Builder Tip
Over 2 goals
Lucas Boye 1+ shots on target
Lucas Boye to be booked
Pays 13/2
Alaves’ away games tend to be high-scoring, with five of the last eight going over 2.5 goals, and a repeat looks likely in this derby.
Lucas Boye has already scored four goals for the visitors this term and looks a safe bet for a shot on target.
However, the striker has committed 12 fouls this term already and could pick up a caution in what may be a feisty affair.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Match Stats
Athletic Club have won five of the last seven home derbies between these two
Both teams have scored in seven of Alaves’ last eight road trips
Alaves have scored exactly once in their last five away games
Athletic Club have conceded first in four of their last five home matches
Lucas Boye has already scored four league goals this term
Read more football betting tips and predictions on site
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
