Athletic vs Leganes Prediction 26 January 2025

🔊 Will the "Basques" be able to break through the defensive structure of Borja Jiménez's team? An intriguing fixture of the 21st round of the Spanish La Liga is the clash between Athletic and Leganes at "San Mames". The main referee of the match will be Spaniard Alejandro Hernandez. At first glance, it is extremely difficult to find intrigue in this encounter. Nevertheless, our editorial prediction will thoroughly analyze the stylistic aspects of the clubs, evaluate their current form, and provide the most optimal betting option.

📊 H2H

The teams have met each other only 9 times in La Liga. During this period, there were 4 victories for the "Basques", 3 draws, and 1 victory for the "Pepineros". Interestingly, only once have the teams managed to score more than two goals combined: in the 2018/19 season - Athletic's success (2:1).

🔴 ATHLETIC

During the week, the "Basques" had an unsuccessful trip to Istanbul - in the 7th round of the Europa League, they suffered a defeat against Besiktas (1:4). Ernesto Valverde's men did not resemble themselves and regularly lost positions in the defensive phases. Moreover, throughout the current season, the "Lions" cannot boast a well-coordinated positional play. It's not surprising: Ernesto Valverde prefers to use the "shortest path", avoiding an excessive number of short passes. Analyzing Athletic's positioning on the field, it can be confidently stated that the "red and whites" do not focus on flank activity. In the recent clash with Besiktas, Nico Williams and Alejandro Berenguer operated quite narrowly and seemed to play more as "number tens". In the national championship, the "Basques" have equaled Barcelona in points - 39. In terms of home game effectiveness, the team from Bilbao ranks 3rd - 21 points after 10 games.

🔵 LEGANES

In the last round of La Liga, Leganes defeated Atletico (1:0), using Diego Simeone's weapon. Borja Jiménez "cemented" the midfield, which simply did not allow the "Rojiblancos" to make quick flank-to-flank switches or rapidly develop their own counterattacks. We note the explicit second-number play from the "Pepineros" this season. On average, they possess the ball for no more than 41% of the time per match. One of Borja Jiménez's key players is Ivan Neyou. He does a large amount of dirty work, covering the midfield. On average per game, the Cameroonian midfielder makes 1.9 tackles and 1.1 interceptions. Among those who will not be able to help Leganes in the upcoming round is Enric Franquesa, who is recovering from a knee injury. Whether the club from the suburbs of the capital can distance itself from the relegation zone - we will find out very soon.

⚽️ GOAL PREDICTION

Let's record the teams' average scoring this season: Athletic - 1.6, Leganes - 1. Again, it's important to note that only once in their head-to-head history have there been more than two goals scored. The explicitly defensive game plan from the "Pepineros" and rather pragmatic football from the "Basques" are unlikely to delight spectators with a goal fest. Our choice is total under 2.5 goals.

🚩 CORNER PREDICTION

The ratio of corners won and conceded by Leganes in this season's La Liga is extremely telling - 2.8 against 6.2. Head-to-head encounters also show a noticeable superiority from the "Basques" - 5.2 against 3.3. Considering the huge emphasis of the "Pepineros" on defensive play, there is a very high probability of a significant victory for the "Lions" in terms of corner kicks. We focus on Athletic's win on corners with a handicap (-2.5).

📝MATCH PREDICTION

Despite a fair number of problems in Athletic's game, they are simply obliged to beat a team like Leganes. Ernesto Valverde and company feel very comfortable in home matches and gain most of their points at "San Mames". Highlighting any idea in the "Pepineros'" tactics is extremely difficult, especially when it comes to attack. Based on this, our editorial team predicts a victory for the hosts with a score of 2:0. The key bet is Athletic's win with a handicap (-1).