- Athletic Bilbao have won three of their last five matches in all competitions (D1, L1). RCD Espanyol have won just one of their last three away fixtures. The visitors won the reverse LaLiga 2025/2026 fixture 2-0 at home, while also winning the last two meetings overall.
Two solid sides will clash at San Mames
Athletic Bilbao have done what they usually do in Spain's top-flight and are sat comfortably in the top-half with 16 points from 11 games for a seventh-place position at the time of writing.
Edin Terzić's men have played their part in some thrilling games so far this season and they've been a hard team to peg down as they've won three, drawn two and lost one of their six home matches. But they have also hit the back of the net 11 times in those games, which points to an ability to get the better of most teams.
Sergio García's Espanyol are no different, sat in mid-table with 12 points from 12 LaLiga 2026/2027 matches and still seeking the consistency that could propel them to a top-half finish. They've won one, drawn one and lost three of their last five and they don't look to be in any sort of winning streak.
Espanyol’s solidity in Spain’s second city
Robert Navarro is the leading goalscorer for Athletic in LaLiga 2026/2027 with two strikes in five appearances and, while that doesn't make for pretty reading, it does give the Leones a spark in attack. At the other end, Roberto Fernández has been Espanyol's main man, banging in six goals in seven appearances and Javi Hernández has been their creative hub, providing four assists.
Espanyol are a decent side, but they will struggle to make an impression on this game. They're solid away from home, conceding just seven goals at a rate of 1.17 per 90 minutes, but they have just two wins, one draw and three defeats on the road in this league season.
Athletic’s intensity can edge it
Athletic have played some good football at home this season, winning their last two at home and they have enough to edge this contest and continue their good run of results. Espanyol will provide a test, however, as they have been doing recently.
Athletic are the clear favourites at 12/25 with Espanyol at 21/4 and the draw at 16/5, so it may be worth siding with the hosts to win and under 2.5 goals at 1/1.
The Leones have averaged 2.5 goals for across the last five head-to-heads at San Mamés, while Espanyol have averaged 1.5 as the visitors, so goals usually arrive. That said, both teams to score is priced very tight and we'll take the hosts to edge a classic and perhaps low-scoring fixture.
