Athletic Bilbao v Sevilla Betting Tips [31 October 2020]

While Sevilla continued with Champions League duties in midweek winning against Rennes, their hosts Athletic Bilbao would have been dwelling on their 1-0 defeat to Osasuna last weekend. Bilbao suffered their fourth defeat in La Liga leaving them in 16th after six games while their guests lie in 13th having played one game less. 

Naturally enough a joint-league low of 1.7 goals have been scored in the Basque side’s opening six matches. In Gaizka Garitano’s first full season in charge in 2019/20 Bilbao’s home games averaged just 1.8 goals with just three goals being scored in their first two matches of this campaign. The home side have failed to find the net in three of their last four matches prior to this fixture but have managed to keep a clean sheet, at least until half-time, in five of their six league games so far. 

As for Sevilla they too have been struggling in front of goal but returned to winning ways with a 1-0 win over Rennes in the Champions League. The visitors failed to score in each of three games prior to their meeting with Rennes. Similarly, to their hosts the second period of Sevilla’s games have brought more action. Julen Lopetegui’s side have kept three first-half clean sheets in five domestic games with six of the nine goals their games have seen being scored from the 45th minute onwards.  

The statistics illustrate how these team's matches tend to come to life after the interval. Bilbao manage to keep things tight especially in the first half but Sevilla's quality may tell in the latter stages. Go for the second-half to have the most goals here.