Make sure to tune in for the clash between Athletic Bilbao and AZ Alkmaar as this fixture has the potential to steal the show on Thursday.
Athletic Bilbao will enter this contest undefeated in five consecutive matches and after stealing a point from Roma with a late equaliser last week.
The Lions will be a tough nut to crack for anyone in this competition, especially at home. Bilbao have made Estadio San Mames a fortress and only suffered a single defeat in the last 12 months.
AZ Alkmaar began their Europa League march with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Elfsborg. And while the team has displayed impressive attacking capabilities this season, their defence conceded two goals to the only two shots on goal last week.
They are capable of scoring a goal or even two but that defence will be put to the ultimate test when faced with the Williams brothers on Thursday.
How the bookies view it: No one beats Bilbao in Spain
Bookmakers give Athletic a clear advantage ahead of this fixture. Betano priced them at 7/10 while the visitors sit at 4/1 right now. Alternatively, you can bet on the draw at 14/5.
Recent head to head: Exciting history between them
Athletic Bilbao and AZ Alkmaar met in the group stage of the same tournament in 2015. Both fixtures were certified thrillers, with AZ winning 2-1 at home before stealing a point through 2-2 in the rematch.
Players to watch: Williams to score, but which one
It remains to be seen if Ernesto Valverde plans to make rotations due to the busy schedule but we expect to see all the star figures in play.
Bilbao's main problem this season has been the lack of a distinguished scorer. The team has scored 13 goals across all competitions this season and those were scored by nine different players.
Inaki Williams has turned his attention to providing assists this season, so we would rather back his younger brother to put his name on the scoresheet.
Probable line-ups
Athletic Bilbao: Agirrezabala, de Marcos, Nunez, Paredes, Lekue, Jauregizar, Gomez, Vesga, Williams, Remiro, Williams
AZ Alkmaar: Owusu-Oduro, Kasius, Penetra, Indi, Wolfe, Koopmeiners, Mijnans, Clasie, Lahdo, Parrott, van Bommel
Anything else catch the eye?
Given that both teams do not really rely on their defences for results, we expect to see a goal-packed match with scoring on both ends.
The Lions managed a clean sheet in just two of their nine fixtures this season while AZ conceded six in their last four outings. We usually have to decide between BTTS and Over 2.5, but in this case, we will even focus our attention on the combined market.
Other than that, we back Bilbao to win this match as AZ's defence seems to be out of touch. A correct score in the range of 3-1/3-2 is worth a shot too.
This UEFA Europa League match between Athletic Bilbao and AZ Alkmaar will be played on Oct 3, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Athletic Bilbao vs AZ Alkmaar prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
