IT has been a memorable season for Athletic Bilbao and the Basque giants will be looking to sign off in style when they visit Rayo Vallecano on the final day of La Liga.
Ernesto Valverde has made a triumphant return as boss, masterminding their first Copa Del Rey victory in 40 years while also securing a fifth-placed finish in the league.
Athletic Club are heading back to Europe next term under the man who delivered Champions League football in his last spell at the helm and Los Leones have found their roar again.
The campaign has been less successful for Rayo Vallecano with Inigo Perez's men only just dodging the drop but they can relax a little with the pressure off in their final home game.
That means we should see a decent spectacle with two teams who like to attack free to trade blows without any consequences.
How the bookies view it: Bilbao backed to finish with flourish
Bet365 make Valverde's men 13/10 favourites for a win on the road while Rayo Vallecano are 21/10 outsiders. The draw pays 12/5 and that might be the best option for punters.
Recent head to head: Plenty of maulings from Los Leones
Rayo Vallecano were thrashed 4-0 at the San Mames earlier in the season and this fixture hasn't brought them much joy of late. Of the last 10 meetings, only one game has ended in a Vallecano victory.
When Athletic Bilbao last came to Estadio de Vallecas, it ended in a 0-0 draw so the fans will be hoping there isn't a repeat.
Players to watch: Emotional day for Muniain
There will be plenty of tears from Iker Muniain as he pulls on the Athletic Bilbao jersey for the final time. The club legend scored on his San Mames farewell last weekend and is 9/2 for another goal here. The 31-year-old is also 5/4 just to have a shot on target, which looks good value if he starts.
With Sergio Camello firing blanks in his last six games, Rayo Vallecano could be tempted to start veteran Radamel Falcao up front. The former Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United forward is 5/2 for anytime scorer.
Probable line-ups
Rayo Vallecano have Oscar Trejo back from a ban while Athletic Bilbao should be along similar lines to the team that beat Sevilla, although Valverde could make a few changes.
Rayo Vallecano: Dimitrievski, Espino, Mumin, Balliu, Lejeune, Lopez, Palazon, Trejo, Garcia, Valentin, Falcao
Athletic Bilbao: Agirrezabala, Vivian, Yeray, Yuri, De Marcos, I Williams, Muniain, N Williams, Ruiz de Galarreta, Prados, Villalibre.
Anything else catch the eye?
This should be a decent game with both sides playing without any pressure. Over 2.5 goals looks good at evens while combining that with BTTS boosts the odds to 5/4.
Athletic Bilbao have scored a first-half goal in three of their last four so backing them to net inside 45 minutes here could pay off at evens.
Rayo Vallecano have been decent value for corners of late, with double figures landing in two of their last three games. The corner count has also hit double digits in three of the last four for Atheltic Bilbao so over nine corners looks decent here at 5/6.
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This La Liga match between Rayo Vallecano and Athletic Bilbao will be played on May 25, 2024 and kick off at 17:30. Check below for our tipsters best Rayo Vallecano vs Athletic Bilbao prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
