Athletic Bilbao vs Mallorca Predictions & Tips

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San Mames Barria

Athletic Bilbao

Mallorca

Both Teams To Score - No

Reason for tip

Both teams have super defensive records with both teams having not scored in Mallorca’s last four matches in nine of Athletic Bilbao’s last 11 games. When they collide, one or the other usually fails to score – as has happened in three of the last four meetings of the clubs.

13/20odds when tipped

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Draw 0-0

Reason for tip

With so much at stake here, the chances of an open game are almost nil and even when chances are created the teams could be too anxious to score. A 0-0 draw, which was the score when the sides met in Mallorca in September, looks a sensible play in the circumstances.

7/1odds when tipped

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Both teams have not scored in Mallorca’s last four matches
Both teams have not scored in nine of Athletic Bilbao’s last 11 games
Both teams have not scored in three of the last four meetings of the clubs

Mallorca will make it hard for cup favourites

Two well-balanced sides on the brink of making history could fight out a close Copa Del Rey Final on Saturday in Seville. Real Mallorca, who have not won silverware since their last cup triumph 21 years ago, are the underdogs going into the clash.

Javier Aguirre’s side sit ten places back of Champions League-chasing Athletic Club in La Liga, but they have won two, drawn one and lost only one of their four games since knocking Real Sociedad out in the semi-finals. Barcelona are the only team to have scored against them during that time and Xavi’s side could only scrape a 1-0 win in that match.

Bilbao’s cup drought is even longer as their last win in this competition came back in 1984, but they won’t have a better chance to end that drought with the squad currently at Ernesto Valverde’s disposal.

Lions do not leak many goals

The Lions have also been defensively sound of late, conceding in only one of their four league games since ousting Atletico Madrid 4-0 on aggregate. And that 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid at the Bernabeu is the outlier of their recent results, which includes eight clean sheets in their last 11 games.

Whichever team, if either, breaks the deadlock in 90 minutes will have a great chance of going on to win. But neither team are likely to go on and thrash their opponents unless one or the other completely loses their heads.

Both are managed by experienced coaches who will surely keep them calm in the build-up to such an historic clash and it seems wise to focus on the defensive qualities they possess when forming a bet for this clash. Backing one or both of these clubs to shut out the other seems the sensible play with a 0-0 scoreline leading to extra-time, and possibly penalties, the pick in correct score markets.