Athletic Bilbao should be expected to win against Viktoria Plzen by a scoreline of 1-0.
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Athletic Bilbao host Viktoria Plzen in Round 8 of the Europa League fixtures on Friday.
The Basque Country club have been excellent during the new format, particularly at home. They have won all three matches without conceding a single goal. They’ve only conceded six goals across seven games.
As a result, Bilbao are heading to the next stage. However, they will still be keen to put in another professional performance in front of their own fans to keep their good form going.
Their opponents, Viktoria Plzen, still have a chance to finish in the top eight but will require a win in Bilbao if they are to achieve that. Although yet to lose on the road, this will be their hardest test to date. Having conceded six goals on their travels, this could be a difficult match for them to overcome.
The probable lineup for Athletic Bilbao in the “system of play.”
Agirrezabala; Berchiche, Paredes, Nunez, de Marcos, Jaureguizar, Prados Diaz, Williams, Gomez, Berenguer, Guruzeta
The probable lineup for Viktoria Plzen in the “system of play.”
Jedlicka; Jemelka, Paluska, Dweh, Kopic, Cerv, Panos, Havel, Vydra, Sulc, Vasulin
The first of our Athletic Bilbao vs Viktoria Plzen predictions is centred around the hosts. Having won three out of three in front of their own fans, Bilbao have proven to be a difficult team to break down on home soil, and this is where Viktoria Plzen could fall short.
Bilbao are already through to the next stage. However, they will be determined to finish strong and maintain not only their unbeaten record but also their consecutive clean sheets.
Plzen haven’t lost on their travels yet, but they have only won once and conceded six in the process. A first loss is firmly on the cards.
The second of our Athletic Bilbao vs Viktoria Plzen predictions focuses on the hosts’ top goalscorer in this competition, Inaki Williams. The Ghanaian forward has four goals to his name, having scored a winning brace in Bilbao’s 2-0 victory against Fenerbahce.
Williams also found the back of the net at home to AZ Alkmaar before scoring the equaliser against Ludogorets on the road. While the 30-year-old hasn’t scored for a few weeks in domestic games, this is the perfect opportunity for him to get back on track in a competition he clearly thrives in.
As mentioned, Athletic Bilbao’s defence has been at the top of their game throughout the Europa League’s new format, and they have yet to concede. We believe they can extend this run on Friday.
Viktoria Plzen will be desperate to win, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they can get past the toughest defence in the competition. It won’t be an easy task for them, and Bilbao are unlikely to rotate in order to protect their incredible record.
The hosts can secure a narrow win, but they can do so by banking yet another clean sheet.