Athletic Bilbao will be hoping there's no Europa League hangover as they bid to stay on track for a place in next season's Champions League by beating Real Mallorca in La Liga.
Ernesto Valverde, the man who last led Los Leones to Europe's top table 10 years ago, has Athletic flying again and they sit fourth in the table behind the three giants slugging it out for the title.
That Bilbao have managed to stay so consistent in La Liga while juggling domestic commitments with a Europa League campaign is another big feather in Valverde's cap.
His side are among the favourites to win the Europa League but they lost 2-1 away to Roma on Thursday in the first leg of their last-16 clash, as a goals bet came up just one short for our man Adam.
That clash in Italy will have taken a lot out of the Bilbao squad so Real Mallorca will be looking to punish any tired limbs and minds at the San Mames.
The Islanders are also having an excellent season and sat in eighth place going into the weekend fixtures after a four-game unbeaten run.
How the bookies view it: Mallorca mauled in Lions' den
Athletic Bilbao have lost just twice at home all season so BoyleSports make them 11/20 hot favourites. Real Mallorca look a little overpriced at 5/1 while the draw pays 13/5.
Recent head to head: Quick on the draw
This fixture has been closely fought in recent years, with four of the last five meetings ending in draws, including Bilbao's shoot-out success in last season's Copa Del Rey final. But the Basques romped to a 4-0 win when Real Mallorca last came to the San Mames.
Players to watch: Nico in the groove
In-demand winger Nico Williams has hit a hot streak in front of goal, with three goals in his last five outings. The Euro 2024 winner is 4/1 at BoyleSports for anytime scorer and 3/1 at Bet365 for an assist.
Vedat Muriqi is also in decent scoring form for Real Mallorca, netting three in his last four. The Kosovan forward is 3/1 to take his tally for the season to seven.
Probable line-ups
I'd imagine Valverde will freshen things up a bit after such a draining match on Thursday night. Alvaro Djalo is set to miss out with injury while Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta is suspended. Dani Vivian is also a doubt after going off early in the loss to Roma.
Jagoba Arraste has a healthy Mallorca squad to pick from, with only Robert Navarro set to miss out with injury.
Athletic Bilbao: Simon, Gorosabel, Alvarez, Paredes, Lekue, Vesga, Sancet, I Williams, Gomez, Jauregizar, N Williams.
Real Mallorca: Greif, Lato, Raillo, Maffeo, Valjent, Mascarell, Darder, Asano, Navarro, Muriqi, Rodriguez.
Anything else catch the eye?
With so many recent meetings ended in draws, the stalemate appeals for this one, especially with Bilbao coming off the back of such a tough game. The half-time stalemate is a safer bet and that pays 21/20 at BoyleSports.
There's the possibility of a hangover for Valverde's side so the 11/4 on offer for Mallorca to win either half looks a bit overpriced.
Five of the last six meetings have seen under 2.5 goals so I'd be surprised if this was a thriller. Under 2.5 goals pays just 4/6 with BoyleSports though while betting against BTTS is the same price. Combining those picks in a bet builder takes you to 21/20.
Athletic Club won 14-1 on the corner count in that stalemate earlier this season but Camu Costa's first-half red card played a big part in that. All three meetings last term produced just eight corners so under 9.5 flag kicks looks good here at 20/23 with BoyleSports.
This La Liga match between Athletic Bilbao and Real Mallorca will be played on and kick off at 17:30. Check below for our tipsters best Athletic Bilbao vs Real Mallorca prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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