Athletic Bilbao v Elche

Bilbao need a win to stay within touching distance of a European place. Can lowly Elche stop their charge?

Athletic Bilbao v Elche – San Mames 21:00 CET

Team News:

Bilbao are without Alex Berenguer, Mikel Jauregizar and key man Nico Williams.

Elche are without Hector Fort and Grady Diangana.

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Formations:

4-2-3-1 for Bilbao almost the entire season.  Usual Valverde tactics of compact and organised play.  Trying to dominate midfield the formation morphs a lot with possession.

Elche are not set with one formation. 3-5-2 last match but variations of that in the previous matches. 4-5-1 has been used also.  They are neat in possession and take a lot of risks.

Statistics:

Referee: N/A

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Match Preview:

Bilbao have had a poor season by their standards, hit by injuries to key players. Recently there has been some signs of improvement. They are in 9^th and just 4 points off the European places. Three wins from last four games have boosted their confidence.

Elche sit in 16^th just 1 point above the relegation zone. They are in dire form with no wins in the last 8 matches in all competitions. That run includes 3 draws and 5 losses. They have scored in 7 of those matches but defence has been poor with 17 goals conceded.

Betting Preview:

Bilbao should have too much for this Elche side in poor form. At home in the raucous San Mames they will pressure Elche for the 90 minutes. A home win is the bet but with Elche capable of scoring a Bilbao win and both score is a more adventurous option.