Liverpool vs Athletic Prediction 4 August 2025
🔊 Will Liverpool's goal-scoring spree in pre-season come to a halt against Athletic Bilbao? The Reds' Asian tour wraps up on July 4 with another match at the Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong. This is their final game before the FA Community Shield, where they will face Crystal Palace. The clash with the Basque side offers an excellent opportunity to prepare against a team that plays defensively. In the text below, we'll analyze how the Merseysiders might break down Athletic's defense and whether Ernesto Valverde's pragmatic style can aid the Spaniards.
Head-to-Head
📊 The teams have not faced each other before.
Head-to-head statistics Liverpool - Athletic
Liverpool Team Overview
🔴 Arne Slot is gradually integrating new signings into the game plan, aiming to not only replicate Liverpool's Premier League success but also improve their performance in domestic cups and on the European stage. Among the quartet of Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Hugo Ekitike, and Florian Wirtz, it's the German standout who has impressed the most so far. The €125 million signing capitalized on a chance in the recent victory against Yokohama Marinos (3-1). The others have yet to make a significant impact, but there are concerns about the defensive performances, including goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, as three goals were conceded in the second half against AC Milan.
⚪️ Liverpool's youth deserve special mention. In the match against the Rossoneri, all of the team's goals came from 22-year-old Tyler Morton. The young midfielder spent last season in the Championship with Hull City, tallying eight goal contributions (three goals and five assists) in 39 matches. In the second game at Kai Tak Stadium, 16-year-old Rio Ngumoa and 18-year-old Trey Nyoni made their mark by scoring against Yokohama.
Match Results: Liverpool
Athletic Bilbao Team Overview
⚪️ Ernesto Valverde's side have managed just one victory this preseason, a narrow 1-0 win over Ponferradina from Spain's third tier. The other three matches ended in defeats with an aggregate score of 2-5. Notably, in the first two games against Alavés and PSV, the Basques fielded nearly their full-strength lineup. A bright spot for the team has been the performance of the elder Williams brother, 31-year-old Iñaki, who found the net against PSV. Otherwise, the Dutch side dominated the Basques across all metrics: they controlled possession (61% to 39%) and outshot them on target by a factor of three.
🔴 Athletic's youth squad put up a comparable fight in their last outing, losing by the same 1-2 scoreline. However, their opponents were of a lower caliber; Racing, the fifth-placed team in the Segunda, provided the challenge. Valverde was forced to deploy such a lineup due to circumstances. First-team defenders Aitor Paredes (injury) and Yeray Álvarez were unavailable, the latter sidelined due to a suspension following a positive doping test.
Match Results: Athletic Bilbao
Editor's Prediction
Liverpool will be Athletic's most high-profile opponent in this preseason, as reflected in the odds-4.8 for the Spaniards against 1.6 for the English side. These odds might even be generous, given the Basques' recent form in both competitive and friendly matches (five consecutive away losses) and their injury concerns.
Despite a slip-up against Milan, the Reds are putting together a solid preseason, delighting fans with entertaining games. In all three of their matches, the total has exceeded 3.5 goals, with Slot's charges scoring at least two goals while also conceding in each game-a trend seen in six of Liverpool's last seven friendlies. We anticipate that Athletic's weakened lineup will allow the Merseysiders to finish with a 2-1 victory, and our main bet will be on Liverpool to score over 1.5 goals.
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Betting Tips: Liverpool - Athletic Bilbao
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