Getting closer to the top teams is at stake when these two mid-table clubs battle it out. Both will be aiming to improve their league table standing, Valencia in 8th and Athletic Club in 9th place.
It’s busy days for these teams as both were in action only a few days ago. There’s no rest for the wicked, or in this case; no rest for Valencia and Athletic Club.
Valencia form and stats
The home supporters can't complain about results here at Estadio de Mestalla as Valencia have scored 26 goals to get 34 points from 16 games. The overall stats in the La Liga are 9-7-0 (wins-draws-losses). In general it's been a long time since Valencia tasted defeat here at Estadio de Mestalla, as they have taken at least one point from their last 16 home games in the league.
Times are rough for the home team, having gone 235 minutes without scoring a league goal. Rodrigo was the last player to find the net.
In their previous game, the manager A. Celades López led his Valencia to a defeat in the La Liga match away at Villarreal. The manager is hoping to put things right immediately here at Estadio de Mestalla. A defeat was the result before that one, 0-1 away at Eibar.
This is expected to be a close game, with Valencia perhaps considered small favourites due to their home advantage. Looking back at earlier matches similar to this one (expected to be close with Valencia as a small favourite), we find two games. Valencia has won one of these, drawn zero and lost one.
There's a new game coming up fairly quickly for Valencia as they are travelling to their away game against Granada in the La Liga. That match is three days after this one.
Valencia have proved capable of finding the net in their games here at Estadio de Mestalla with 26 goals in 16 league matches. Valencia are not conceding a lot of goals here at Estadio de Mestalla in the league, averaging less than one per game. The total is 13 from 16 matches.
Athletic Club form and stats
The hunting on away grounds haven’t been very fruitful for Athletic Club so far with only 14 points returning home. The records show 2-8-6 (win-draw-lose).
Athletic Club had fun at their own home (Estadio de Mestalla) last time out, beating Mallorca 3-1. Asier Villalibre, Raúl García and Oihan Sancet scored. Preceding that game, the 0-1 loss visiting Barcelona's place.
So, this is expected to be a close game, an even contest. Looking at earlier matches with Athletic Club playing away and similar expectations, we found nine relevant matches. Results were one Athletic Club win, three draws and five defeats.
After this away game Athletic return home for a La Liga game against Real Madrid. That game is only four sleeps after this.
Athletic are scoring more than one goal per away game on average, having accumulated 16 away goals from 16 games (in the league). 19 goals have been conceded by Athletic in these games.
Head 2 Head
Athletic Club - Valencia 0-1 was the story when these teams last met, earlier this season. H2H stats regardless of arena (last ten matches): Valencia five wins, two draws and Athletic Club three victories. As for goals, four matches ended with three or more goals (over 2,5), six games had two or less.Top Goalscorers
  R. García Escudero 11 goals |   D. Parejo Muñoz 8 goals |  M. Gómez González 8 goals |
Valencia missing players
Athletic Club missing players
| Valencia | Athletic Club | ||||||
| Total | Home | vs | Statistics | Stat | vs | Away | Total |
| 32 | 16 | 5 | Played | P | 3 | 16 | 32 |
| 12 | 9 | 3 | Won | W | 1 | 2 | 11 |
| 10 | 7 | 2 | Drew | D | 0 | 8 | 12 |
| 10 | 0 | 0 | Lost | L | 2 | 6 | 9 |
| 41 | 26 | 8 | Scored | S | 5 | 16 | 36 |
| 46 | 13 | 3 | Conceded | C | 6 | 19 | 28 |
| 100% | 100% | 100% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 100% | 81% | 88% |
| 84% | 88% | 100% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 100% | 69% | 66% |
| 44% | 31% | 20% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 100% | 38% | 28% |
| 19% | 12% | 0% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 33% | 19% | 12% |
| 12% | 6% | 0% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 33% | 12% | 6% |
| 59% | 62% | 60% | BTTS | BTTS | 100% | 62% | 47% |
| 22% | 38% | 40% | Clean Sheets | C S | 0% | 19% | 34% |
| 19% | 0% | 0% | Failed to Score | F T | 0% | 38% | 31% |
| 4.3 | 4.6 | 3.4 | Corners for (avg) | C F | 2.7 | 4.3 | 4.8 |
| 4.8 | 4.5 | 5.4 | Corners against (avg) | C A | 4.3 | 5.4 | 4.8 |
| 2.2 | 2 | 1.6 | Yellow cards (avg) | Y C | 3 | 2.2 | 2.4 |
| 7 | 1 | 1 | Red cards | R C | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 287 | 163 | 59 | Total Shots | T S | 22 | 141 | 364 |
| 101 | 63 | 23 | Shots on Target | S O | 8 | 41 | 114 |
| 41% | 41% | 35% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 62% | 39% | 32% |
- Athletic Club have played more matches over 2,5 goals away than home.
- Valencia have not yet lost a game at home.
- Valencia have scored in all their home matches so far.
- Valencia haven’t played a single 0-0 game.
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Real Madrid | 32 | 21 | 8 | 3 | 60 | 21 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 35 | 10 | 16 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 25 | 11 | 39 | 71 |
| 2 | Barcelona | 32 | 21 | 6 | 5 | 72 | 33 | 16 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 12 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 24 | 21 | 39 | 69 |
| 3 | Atletico Madrid | 32 | 15 | 13 | 4 | 41 | 23 | 16 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 23 | 10 | 16 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 18 | 13 | 18 | 58 |
| 4 | Sevilla | 32 | 14 | 12 | 6 | 45 | 33 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 22 | 14 | 16 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 23 | 19 | 12 | 54 |
| 5 | Villarreal | 32 | 15 | 6 | 11 | 51 | 40 | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 31 | 19 | 16 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 20 | 21 | 11 | 51 |
| 6 | Getafe | 31 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 40 | 29 | 16 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 22 | 14 | 15 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 15 | 11 | 49 |
| 7 | Real Sociedad | 31 | 14 | 5 | 12 | 47 | 39 | 16 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 29 | 16 | 15 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 18 | 23 | 8 | 47 |
| 8 | Valencia | 32 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 41 | 46 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 26 | 13 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 15 | 33 | -5 | 46 |
| 9 | Athletic Club | 32 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 36 | 28 | 16 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 20 | 9 | 16 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 16 | 19 | 8 | 45 |
| 10 | Granada | 32 | 12 | 7 | 13 | 38 | 38 | 16 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 19 | 12 | 16 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 19 | 26 | 0 | 43 |
| 11 | Osasuna | 32 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 38 | 47 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 22 | 26 | 16 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 16 | 21 | -9 | 41 |
| 12 | Levante | 32 | 12 | 5 | 15 | 41 | 46 | 16 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 24 | 16 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 17 | 30 | -5 | 41 |
| 13 | Real Betis | 32 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 43 | 52 | 16 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 30 | 23 | 16 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 29 | -9 | 37 |
| 14 | Eibar | 32 | 9 | 8 | 15 | 34 | 48 | 16 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 22 | 22 | 16 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 26 | -14 | 35 |
| 15 | Deportivo Alavés | 32 | 9 | 8 | 15 | 32 | 48 | 16 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 20 | 12 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 12 | 36 | -16 | 35 |
| 16 | Real Valladolid | 32 | 7 | 14 | 11 | 27 | 37 | 15 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 23 | -10 | 35 |
| 17 | Celta de Vigo | 32 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 31 | 37 | 16 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 22 | -6 | 34 |
| 18 | Mallorca | 32 | 7 | 5 | 20 | 30 | 55 | 16 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 13 | 36 | -25 | 26 |
| 19 | Leganes | 32 | 5 | 10 | 17 | 24 | 46 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 14 | 21 | 16 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 25 | -22 | 25 |
| 20 | Espanyol | 32 | 5 | 9 | 18 | 26 | 51 | 16 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 15 | 28 | 16 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 11 | 23 | -25 | 24 |