Athletic Club vs Valencia predictions and match preview for Saturday’s LaLiga fixture. Read on for analysis, the head-to-head, team news and predicted lineups as Los Che travel to San Mames.
| Date | Saturday 7th May 2022 |
| Kick-Off | 16:15 (local time) |
| Stadium | San Mames |
| Competition | LaLiga |
Athletic Club vs Valencia Preview
Athletic Club and Valencia meet in a rerun of the recent Copa del Rey Semi-Final between the sides. Goncalo Guedes’ long-range screamer settled that tie in the 2nd Leg at Mestalla but Athletic are the favourites to claim revenge here with Marcelino’s side competing for European qualification.
Valencia’s cup Final defeat to Betis was good news for Athletic as it means that 7th will now almost certainly be good enough for Conference League qualification. After a few years away from the European stage, that would still feel like a significant achievement for Athletic and would be a good opportunity for this latest batch of young players to develop next term. They are in a battle with Villarrreal for that position it would seem with the Yellow Submarine 1 point better off heading into matchday 35.
Athletic will take momentum into this one following back-to-back victories. Having won 3-2 at Cadiz despite a Second Half fightback from the Andalusian side, Athletic put in a strong showing at San Mames last time out to deservedly see off Atletico Madrid 2-0. One of the most notable things about those games was that Nico Williams started them both and the 19 year old is starting to exert greater influence on games and is gradually earning his coach’s trust.
As for Valencia, they are perhaps now a team that is looking forward to their summer breaks with penalty shootout heartbreak in Seville denying them a trophy that would have really capped what has been a solid first campaign under Jose Bordalas. A 1-1 draw in the derby with Levante followed that Final but a safe mid-table finish looks like the only plausible outcome in LaLiga now for Los Che.
Inevitably much of the attention will turn towards the summer and Valencia fans will be bracing themselves for fresh departures. Rumoured interest from Barcelona in Carlos Soler hasn’t gone unnoticed and anger at the way this club is being run would reach another level should the Valencia board cash in on their homegrown star. With Soler’s contract set to expire next summer, it’s likely the Valencia board would be open to offers given the precarious state of the club’s finances.
Head to Head
- Last 6 Competitive Meetings: 1 Athletic Win, 1 Valencia Win, 4 Draws.
- Athletic haven’t won any of their last 5 home games against Valencia, with 4 ending in draws.
- The sides have met 3 times already this term with Valencia 2-1 aggregate winners in the Copa del Rey Semi-Finals.
- The league clash at Mestalla ended 1-1.
Team News
| Injured | Doubtful | Banned | |
| Athletic | Sancet | ||
| Valencia | Gaya |
Latest LaLiga Injuries & Suspensions
Possible Lineups
Athletic Club vs Valencia Predictions
Score Prediction: Athletic Club 2-0 Valencia
Athletic look like a team that is really keen to fight for European football, even if it is only the Conference League. They looked pretty solid against Atletico Madrid last time out and should be too strong for a Valencia side that has nothing left to play for.
PLEASE NOTE – Our LaLiga predictions are not betting tips. No profits are guaranteed if you’re using them to bet on football. If you are gambling, do so responsibly and never stake more than you can afford to lose. BeGambleAware.
Mark Sochon is an experienced football writer and editor of LaLiga Expert. Based in Madrid, he has covered La Liga and Spanish football for many years. He also covers Spanish and European football for Goal and Betfred, while his work has previously been published by the Guardian and World Soccer.