Sports Mole previews Saturday’s La Liga clash between Athletic Bilbao and Getafe, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Athletic Bilbao will be bidding to continue their solid run of form when they resume their domestic campaign with a home fixture against Getafe on Saturday evening.
The Basque outfit are currently eighth in the La Liga table, boasting 14 points from their first nine matches of the season, while the visitors are 12th, picking up 11 points from their opening nine games of 2025-26.
Match preview
Athletic will enter this match off the back of a much-needed win in the Champions League, beating Qarabag 3-1 on home soil, with that result following successive losses to Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund in the competition.
Ernesto Valverde‘s side have picked up four points from their last two league matches, meanwhile, beating Mallorca at home on October 4 before drawing 0-0 with Elche last weekend.
Athletic have a record of four wins, two draws and three defeats from their nine La Liga games this term, with 14 points leaving them in eighth spot in the division, only three points behind third-placed Villarreal.
The Lions have struggled in the final third of the field this season, only managing nine goals, but they have conceded just nine times, which is the joint-best defensive record in the top nine.
Athletic have only actually won 13 of their previous 40 matches against Getafe, with almost half (18) of the previous meetings between the two sides ending in a share of the spoils.
Getafe have not beaten Athletic since February 2020, but seven of their 10 league games since then have finished all square, including a 1-1 draw in the corresponding match last season.
The visitors will enter Saturday’s game off the back of a 1-0 home defeat to Real Madrid, and they have not actually been victorious in Spain’s top flight since a 2-0 home success over Real Oviedo on September 13.
The Deep Blue Ones have a record of three wins, two draws and four defeats from their nine league matches this season, with 11 points leaving them in 12th spot in the table.
Getafe finished 13th in Spain’s top flight last term, but they have enough quality in their squad to be pushing for a top-half spot in 2025-26, with their challenge again expected to be built on a solid defence.
Jose Bordalas‘s side have picked up six points from their five away top-flight matches this season, while Athletic have 10 points to show from their five league games at San Mames this term.
Athletic Bilbao La Liga form:
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Athletic Bilbao form (all competitions):
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Getafe La Liga form:
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Team News
Athletic will again be missing Benat Prados, Yeray Alvarez and Unai Egiluz this weekend, while Inaki Williams needs to be assessed, with the experienced attacker substituted in the first half of the game with Qarabag.
Alex Berenguer is expected to be introduced into the side if Inaki Williams is ruled out, while there should be a spot through the middle for Gorka Guruzeta, who netted a brace against Qarabag.
Mikel Jauregizar was a standout performer against Qarabag, and he will again be in the XI, while there should be returns to the side for both Jesus Areso and Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta.
As for Getafe, Allan Nyom and Alex Sancris are both suspended, with the pair sent off against Real Madrid; Davinchi is out until the new year due to an injury problem, while Abdel Aqbar is a serious doubt.
Adrian Liso has scored three times in six appearances for Getafe this season, and there will be a spot in the final third of the field for the 20-year-old.
Borja Mayoral, meanwhile, has two goals in six appearances this term and will also start, with Mario Martin and Luis Milla set to operate in the midfield.
Athletic Bilbao possible starting lineup:
Simon; Areso, Paredes, Vivian, Boiro; Ruiz de Galarreta, Jauregizar; Berenguer, Sancet, N Williams; Guruzeta
Getafe possible starting lineup:
Soria; Dakonam, Iglesias, Duarte; Femenia, Milla, Arambarri, Rico; Martin; Liso, Mayoral
We say: Athletic Bilbao 0-0 Getafe
Athletic are the favourites at home, but the record when it comes to draws between these two sides simply cannot be ignored, and we are predicting a 0-0 at San Mames on Saturday evening.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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