Football Previews
Athletic Bilbao vs Villarreal
Competition – Spanish Primera
Stadium – San Mamés
Date: 19th November 2017
Kick-off time – 19:45 GMT
This game is historically one of the closest fixtures in the Spanish calendar with both teams always looking to get a Europa League spot at the end of the season.
Although Villarreal are the stronger team heading into this fixture, it is always hard to beat Athletic Bilbao when they play at home.
However, these are tough times for Athletic who have only taken 4 points from their last 8 games.
Their decline should be predictable as it has been a long time since they made a quality addition to their squad with their preference for Basque players to blame for their lack of transfer activity.
While they are reliant on an ageing Aritz Aduriitz who turns 37 this season in their attack, they have been impressive at home defensively as they have kept a clean sheet in 60% of their home games with only Barcelona and Atletico Madrid scoring there.
Villarreal will face a tough task breaking down Bilbao but they are also a solid side defensively and they will be looking to keep a blunt Bilbao attack at bay too.
When they both met last season, each team won on their own perch but Villarreal have lost 4 of their last 5 visits here.
Results of each team’s last 5 matches across all leagues and competitions
Athletic Bilbao
| LAST FIVE GAMES | DATE | COMPETITION | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L | Celta Vigo |  |
3-1 |  |
Athletic Bilbao | Nov 5, 2017 | Spanish Primera División |
| W | Athletic Bilbao | |
1-0 |  |
Östersunds FK | Nov 2, 2017 | Europa League |
| L | Athletic Bilbao | |
0-2 |  |
Barcelona | Oct 28, 2017 | Spanish Primera División |
| D | SD Formentera |  |
1-1 | |
Athletic Bilbao | Oct 25, 2017 | Spanish Copa del Rey |
| L | Leganes |  |
1-0 | |
Athletic Bilbao | Oct 22, 2017 | Spanish Primera División |
Villarreal
| LAST FIVE GAMES | DATE | COMPETITION | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | Villarreal |  |
2-0 |  |
Málaga | Nov 5, 2017 | Spanish Primera División |
| W | Slavia Prague |  |
0-2 | |
Villarreal | Nov 2, 2017 | Europa League |
| D | Atletico Madrid |  |
1-1 | |
Villarreal | Oct 28, 2017 | Spanish Primera División |
| L | Ponferradina | |
1-0 | |
Villarreal | Oct 25, 2017 | Spanish Copa del Rey |
| W | Villarreal | |
4-0 |  |
Las Palmas | Oct 22, 2017 | Spanish Primera División |
H2H
| LAST FIVE GAMES | DATE | COMPETITION | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Villarreal | |
3-1 | |
Athletic Bilbao | Apr 7, 2017 | Spanish Primera División |
| Athletic Bilbao | |
1-0 | |
Villarreal | Nov 20, 2016 | Spanish Primera División |
| Athletic Bilbao | |
0-0 | |
Villarreal | Feb 6, 2016 | Spanish Primera División |
| Villarreal | |
0-1 | |
Athletic Bilbao | Jan 13, 2016 | Spanish Copa del Rey |
| Athletic Bilbao | |
3-2 | |
Villarreal | Jan 6, 2016 | Spanish Copa del Rey |
Other fixtures taking place this week in the Spanish Primera:
| January 3, 2025 | ||
| Valencia | 21:00 | Real Madrid |
| January 10, 2025 | ||
| Rayo Vallecano | 21:00 | Celta Vigo |
| January 11, 2025 | ||
| Alaves | 14:00 | Girona |
| Real Valladolid | 16:15 | Real Betis |
| Espanyol | 18:30 | Leganes |
| Sevilla | 21:00 | Valencia |
| January 12, 2025 | ||
| Las Palmas | 14:00 | Getafe |
| Atlético de Madrid | 16:15 | Osasuna |
| January 13, 2025 | ||
| Real Sociedad | 21:00 | Villarreal |
| January 17, 2025 | ||
| Espanyol | 21:00 | Real Valladolid |
| January 18, 2025 | ||
| Osasuna | 14:00 | Rayo Vallecano |
| Leganes | 16:15 | Atlético de Madrid |
| Celta Vigo | 18:30 | Athletic Bilbao |
| Getafe | 21:00 | Barcelona |
| January 19, 2025 | ||
| Real Betis | 14:00 | Alaves |
| Real Madrid | 16:15 | Las Palmas |
| Valencia | 18:30 | Real Sociedad |
| Girona | 21:00 | Sevilla |
| January 20, 2025 | ||
| Villarreal | 21:00 | Mallorca |
Spanish Primera Table
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | G | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlético de Madrid | 18 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 33 | 12 | +21 | 41 |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 18 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 41 | 18 | +23 | 40 |
| 3 | Barcelona | 19 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 51 | 22 | +29 | 38 |
| 4 | Athletic Bilbao | 19 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 29 | 17 | +12 | 36 |
| 5 | Villarreal | 18 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 34 | 30 | +4 | 30 |
| 6 | Mallorca | 19 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 19 | 21 | -2 | 30 |
| 7 | Real Sociedad | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 16 | 13 | +3 | 25 |
| 8 | Girona | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 26 | 25 | +1 | 25 |
| 9 | Real Betis | 18 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 21 | 22 | -1 | 25 |
| 10 | Osasuna | 18 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 23 | 27 | -4 | 25 |
| 11 | Celta Vigo | 18 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 27 | 28 | -1 | 24 |
| 12 | Rayo Vallecano | 18 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 20 | 21 | -1 | 22 |
| 13 | Las Palmas | 18 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 23 | 27 | -4 | 22 |
| 14 | Sevilla | 18 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 20 | 27 | -7 | 22 |
| 15 | Leganes | 18 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 17 | 28 | -11 | 18 |
| 16 | Alaves | 18 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 21 | 30 | -9 | 17 |
| 17 | Getafe | 18 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 15 | -4 | 16 |
| 18 | Espanyol | 18 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 16 | 30 | -14 | 15 |
| 19 | Valencia | 17 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 16 | 26 | -10 | 12 |
| 20 | Real Valladolid | 18 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 12 | 37 | -25 | 12 |
Spanish Primera Results
| December 22, 2024 | ||
| Real Betis | 1 - 1 | Rayo Vallecano |
| Las Palmas | 1 - 0 | Espanyol |
| Leganes | 2 - 5 | Villarreal |
| Real Madrid | 4 - 2 | Sevilla |
| Valencia | 2 - 2 | Alaves |
| December 21, 2024 | ||
| Barcelona | 1 - 2 | Atlético de Madrid |
| Osasuna | 1 - 2 | Athletic Bilbao |
| Celta Vigo | 2 - 0 | Real Sociedad |
| Getafe | 0 - 1 | Mallorca |
| December 20, 2024 | ||
| Girona | 3 - 0 | Real Valladolid |
| December 18, 2024 | ||
| Espanyol | 1 - 1 | Valencia |
| Villarreal | 1 - 1 | Rayo Vallecano |
| December 15, 2024 | ||
| Barcelona | 0 - 1 | Leganes |
| Real Sociedad | 0 - 0 | Las Palmas |
| Villarreal | 1 - 2 | Real Betis |
| Alaves | 1 - 1 | Athletic Bilbao |
| Atlético de Madrid | 1 - 0 | Getafe |
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