- Athletic Bilbao have won two of the last five meetings between the clubs (D2, L1).
- Villarreal CF are third in LaLiga 2025/2026 on 58 points from 30 games, with Athletic Bilbao 11th on 38 from 30.
- Athletic Bilbao have won one of their last five LaLiga games (D0, L4).
Pressure play against possession
An aggressive, high-press style will meet a possession-based, patient game when Athletic Bilbao and Villarreal CF clash at San Mames this Sunday, and control of the tempo will be key to both the outcome and the flow of the game.
Ernesto Valverde’s Athletic Bilbao, who line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, prefer to press opponents high up the pitch and look to exploit turnovers quickly with direct, vertical play.
Villarreal CF, on the other hand, have a slightly different playing style under Marcelino Garcia who has fine-tuned his tactics to ensure his team dominates the midfield and builds patiently through the center of the pitch.
It has been a good formula for the Yellow Submarine, who are third in the table and recently beat Real Sociedad 3-1 at home, but come into this fixture off the back of a disappointing 1-0 away defeat at Girona.
Odds-on away win for the visitors
Athletic Bilbao, who will be led in attack by Gorka Guruzeta (6 goals in 27 LaLiga 2025/2026 appearances), have had a poor run of form recently and will be tough to back at odds on.
Valverde’s side have only won one of their last five league games (W1, L4), although that victory did come at home to Real Betis (2-1), and they lost away at Getafe (2-0) only three days ago.
Villarreal CF, whose top scorer Alberto Moleiro has nine goals in 29 league appearances, have won no, drawn one, and lost two of their last three games on the road, and this fixture could go either way.
The Yellow Submarine have a better league position, however, and will surely have been working on ways to deal with Bilbao’s press in the training ground over the past week.
The visitors also have the edge from their win in the last head-to-head meeting between the sides, a 1-0 victory at La Ceramica six months ago in 2025-2026.
Villarreal CF can claim all three points here and we’re going to back them at 3.0 until their odds shorten too much. A high-scoring contest is expected because of the contrasting styles, but Villarreal’s discipline at the back and ability to pick their moments should allow them to keep the hosts out.
Santi Comesana, who has three assists in his last five LaLiga appearances, can unlock Athletic Bilbao’s defence for a goal in this clash, so we’re also backing Over 2.5 goals and Both Teams to Score - No at 1.85 and 2.1 respectively.
