Athletic Bilbao vs Celta Vigo Predictions, Betting Tips and Match Previews

This is the final fixture in La Liga of 2016 with a 3 week break following this weekend and it promises to be a good game to round off the year. Both sides have had busy first halves of the season with Europa League progress secured and they are both doing reasonably in La Liga without setting the world on fire. Home advantage has been key for both sides though and certainly Athletic look the more likely victors here with the passionate San Mames crowd behind them.

Athletic’s recent home record is exceptionally good and even when they’ve had key players out they’ve still done the business in the Basque Country. Since losing to Barcelona in their first home game of the campaign, they’ve played 9 matches at San Mames, winning 8 of them and drawing the other. That’s quite a record to have to fall back on and they will head out full of belief here. They’ve been scoring plenty of goals at home too, averaging 1.86 goals per game in La Liga and even more in all competitions.

Predictably it has been Artitz Aduriz who has been their main goal threat again. His aerial prowess and power should cause problems for a Celta side that isn’t overly physical and with 11 goals in 17 starts in all competitions this term, there looks to be value in backing Aduriz to score anytime at Evens here.

Celta Vigo have been poor at the back this season. They’ve conceded a worrying 1.93 goals per game in La Liga. No side outside the bottom three has shipped more goals so there should be plenty of holes for the Athletic attack to exploit here. Celta are coming into this match after a really poor 3-0 defeat at home to Sevilla last time out and they just look a bit jaded following their extra European exploits this season, something they’re not really used to.

They’ve let in 12 goals in their last 4 away matches in La Liga with the likes of Villarreal and Las Palmas cutting through them at ease at times. They will carry a threat of their own but Athletic have more all-round quality and given their outstanding home record this season, backing Athletic Bilbao to win at 10/11 looks like the best bet.