Rayo Vallecano vs Athletic Bilbao prediction 05.03.2023

• Competition: La Liga
• Date: Sunday, 5th March 2023
• Kickoff: 17:30 UK / 18:30 CET
• Venue: Campo de Futbol de Vallecas 

Rayo Vallecano are having an excellent season by their standards. They hold the 6th spot, potentially leading them to Europa Conference League qualifications. Still, there is a lot of football to be played before the end of the season, but if they continue to play like they did, especially at home, anything is possible. 

After a four-game unbeaten run, they eventually lost 1:0 against Cadiz on the road. In that match, they were solid and should have won at least one point. Rayo Vallecano even took the lead in the 20th minute, but the goal was disallowed due to an offside. In the first half, they controlled the game and had a couple of solid goal-scoring opportunities. But, in the second half, they made some mistakes that cost them the game.

Athletic Bilbao failed to qualify for the European competitions in the last season after finishing 8th. This season, after a furious start, they are slowly dropping in the standing. 

Athletic Bilbao are coming to this game after a three-game losing streak. Two of those losses were against Atl. Madrid and Girona in the league and the latest loss came against Osasuna in the Copa del Rey semi-finals first leg. In those games, they showed how insecure they were at the back. Those problems multiplied when their first goalkeeper, Unai Simon, got injured in the Girona match. 

Rayo Vallecano vs Athletic Bilbao pick: Rayo Vallecano AH (0) win

Rayo Vallecano are playing very well at home this season. In 11 La Liga games, they have lost only three. It is worth noting that Rayo Vallecano even won against Real Madrid at home by 3:2.

Athletic Bilbao are on a bad streak, but generally, they play their best football at home. This season, Bilbao won just three times in 11 road La Liga games. 

It is hard to expect that Bilbao will win more than one point in this match, but even that is a difficult task considering their recent form and the away record this season.