Atletico Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao Prediction 07.02.2024

• Competition: Copa del Rey
• Date: 07.02.2024
• Kickoff: 20:30 UK / 21:30 CET
• Venue: Metropolitano Stadium (Madrid)

Two teams that have had excellent seasons so far, will try to make the year even better by winning the Copa del Rey and reaching the finals of this competition.

Atletico Madrid has been one of the top 3 Spanish clubs for more than a decade and they proved their excellent form with a draw against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in the previous round. The primary goal of Atletico Madrid this season is to secure 4th place in LaLiga and a place in the Champions League, and the trophy in the Copa del Rey would be an additional bonus and another big trophy in the club's trophy case.

Bilbao may not be one of the best, but it is certainly one of the most stable clubs in the Pyrenees. A club that has never been relegated to a lower ranking competition, and only Real Madrid and Barcelona have achieved that. Bilbao is in 5th place in LaLiga with only 3 points less than Atletico Madrid. In the 1/4 finals of the cup, they eliminated Barcelona with a victory in extra time, and that victory alone emphasizes the candidacy of this team for the trophy.

Atletico Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao pick: UNDER 2.5 GOALS

In the last two LaLiga away matches, Bilbao did not score a single goal but conceded only one. This is a team that plays quite differently outside of the Basque Country. Atletico Madrid have entered a somewhat stronger rhythm of matches. In the spring, they are also expected to continue competing in the knockout phase of the Champions League. They had matches in the Spanish Supercup and this is one of the teams that are going to play the most matches during the season in Europe. Maybe the home team's fatigue is a small chance for Bilbao, but that chance exists if the match is played with fewer goals, which is realistically the case here. In 5 of the last 6 direct duels, 2 or less goals were scored. Under 2.5 goals seems like a solid option.