The Matchday 2 clash in La Liga between Athletic and Rayo Vallecano will take place on August 25 at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao. Athletic vs. Rayo Vallecano: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Athletic
In the first round, the Basques also played at their stadium, hosting Sevilla. The match ended with a hard-fought 3-2 victory for the hosts, thanks to a decisive goal in the 81st minute. Notably, the Bilbao club has won 4 of their last 5 league matches, with the only loss in this series coming against Barcelona.
- At least one team failed to score in 7 of Athletic's last 8 La Liga games.
- No more than two goals were scored in 6 of the Basques' last 8 league matches.
- The club has not lost in 16 of their last 17 home games in La Liga (11 wins and 5 draws).
Predicted lineup for Athletic (4-3-3)
Unai Simon – Yuri Berchiche, Daniel Vivian, Jesus Areso, Aitor Paredes – Maroan Sannadi, Mikel Haurregui, Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta – Nico Williams, Alex Berenguer, Inaki Williams.
Due to injuries, defender Unai Egilus and midfielders Unai Gomez, Benat Prados, and Oihan Sancet will miss the match.
Rayo Vallecano
Inigo Perez's side will play their second consecutive away match. In the first round, playing away, the club easily handled a crumbling Girona, defeating them 3-1. As a result, they extended their unbeaten run in the league to 6 matches, with 4 wins and 2 draws. Interestingly, 3 of these wins came in away matches. Notably, the team has started the last three seasons with an away game and won each time.
- At least two goals were scored in 11 of the Madrilenians' last 14 La Liga matches.
- The team's uncompromising away streak in La Liga stands at 9 matches (5 wins and 4 losses).
- Rayo Vallecano has scored in 6 of their last 7 away league games.
Predicted lineup for Rayo Vallecano (4-5-1)
Augusto Batalla – Florian Lejeune, Andrei Ratiu, Luis Felipe, Pep Chavarria – Pate Ciss, Isi Palazon, Pedro Diaz, Unai Lopez, Alvaro Garcia – Jorge de Frutos.
Defender Abdul Mumin is out due to injury.
Referee:
Juan Martinez (Spain)
Matches – 19 (La Liga, 2024/2025);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 99;
Average yellow cards per match – 5.2;
Red cards shown – 7;
Average fouls per match – 27;
Penalties – 21%.
Athletic vs. Rayo Vallecano: Match Prediction
The Madrilenians are in excellent form, having not lost in the league for an extended period. However, in this 6-match unbeaten streak, the club has faced a team from the European competition zone only once. Against opponents of Athletic's caliber, Inigo Perez's side will find it challenging to secure points, especially since Athletic is very strong at home.
The Basques have only lost to Barcelona in their last 17 home La Liga matches, winning 12 and drawing 6. Additionally, Athletic has an impressive record in head-to-head league encounters, with 6 wins and 1 draw in the last 7 matches. Moreover, at San Mames, the Bilbao club has won 7 of the last 8 head-to-head meetings in La Liga.
My prediction – Athletic to Win
