Jesus Areso ↑46′ · Alex Berenguer ↑62′ · Maroan Sannadi ↑62′ · Peio Canales ↑75′ · Peio Canales ↑75′ · Nico Serrano ↑86′ · Alex Padilla · Hugo Rincon · Alejandro Rego · Alvaro Djalo · Benat Gerenabarrena · Yeray Alvarez · Gorka Guruzeta · Daniel Vivian · Unai Eguiluz
Match Preview
Athletic Bilbao vs Deportivo Alaves Match Preview
AI-written editorial preview · updated 2026-09-17 18:24 UTC
Athletic Bilbao and Deportivo Alaves clash at San Mames
Saturday afternoon at San Mames sees Athletic Bilbao and Deportivo Alaves meet for matchday 7 of LaLiga. With both sides looking to establish consistency in the early stages of the campaign, the atmosphere in Bilbao promises a competitive encounter between these two familiar rivals.
Expected lineups and tactical outlook
Both managers are expected to field settled sides as they look to secure points in this regional fixture. Athletic Bilbao are anticipated to start with Unai Simon in goal, supported by a defensive line of Yuri Berchiche, Aymeric Laporte, Yeray Alvarez, and Jesus Areso. The midfield trio of Oihan Sancet, Robert Navarro, Benat Gerenabarrena, and Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta will look to feed the attacking threat posed by Inaki and Nico Williams.
Deportivo Alaves are expected to counter with Antonio Sivera in goal behind a defensive unit of Angel Perez, Jonny Otto, Ville Koski, and Nahuel Tenaglia. The midfield battle will likely be contested by Abderrahman Rebbach, Carles Alena, Antonio Blanco, and Pablo Ibanez. Up front, Mariano Diaz and the in-form Lucas Boye will be tasked with testing the Bilbao backline.
Athletic Bilbao's search for rhythm
Athletic Bilbao enter the match following a mixed run of results in LaLiga. After a commanding 3-0 victory over Atletico Madrid earlier this month, they were held to a 1-1 draw by Elche in their most recent outing. The side has shown a persistent ability to strike late, with a notable portion of their goals in recent weeks arriving after the 75th minute, highlighting their endurance and focus until the final whistle.
Deportivo Alaves aiming to bounce back
Deportivo Alaves arrive in Bilbao looking to recover from a difficult week, having suffered consecutive defeats against Racing Santander and Valencia. Prior to these setbacks, the team had demonstrated significant attacking potential, highlighted by a clinical 5-2 win over Osasuna. Much of that threat has been driven by Lucas Boye, who has been in exceptional form with 6 goals across his recent appearances.
The head-to-head dynamic
Recent history between these two clubs has been closely contested, with both sides enjoying moments of success. In their most recent LaLiga meeting on 2 May 2026, Athletic Bilbao secured a 4-2 win, though Deportivo Alaves previously claimed a narrow 1-0 victory at San Mames in September 2025. This history suggests that form often takes a backseat to the intensity of the rivalry, with both teams familiar with each other's tactical setups.
Key factors for the matchday
Success for Athletic Bilbao will likely depend on their ability to maintain defensive discipline while exploiting the pace of the Williams brothers on the wings. For Deportivo Alaves, the priority will be to regain the defensive solidity they displayed in their August victory over Getafe while continuing to provide service to the prolific Boye. With no major absences reported for either squad, both managers have the luxury of full tactical flexibility to decide the outcome of this tie.
Deportivo Alaves
4-4-2
● Confirmed
15
↓75′
Boye
9
↓66′
Diaz
21
↓66′
Rebbach
23
↓75′
Protesoni
6
Guevara
19
↓85′
Ibanez
17
Otto
2
Valentini
16
Koski
14
Tenaglia
1
Sivera
Bench (15)
Youssef Enriquez ↑66′ · Antonio Martinez ↑66′ · Angel Perez ↑75′ · Antonio Blanco ↑75′ · Carles Alena ↑85′ · Denis Suarez · Hugo Novoa · Adrian Rodriguez · Miguel Rodriguez · Selu Diallo · Xanet Olaiz · Izei Hernandez · Aitor Manas · Facundo Garces · Mikel Rodriguez
Coach · Quique Sanchez Flores
Confirmed by FIFA officials.
All Predictions
What each AI model picked for Athletic Bilbao vs Deportivo Alaves
Every pick each model placed, market by market — with the odds they took.
Model
1X2
O/U
BTTS
AH
GS
CS
DeepSeek
+4.9% ROI
·
·
·
Nova
+3.5% ROI
·
·
·
Le Chat
+3.3% ROI
·
·
·
·
Nemotron
+2.7% ROI
·
·
·
·
ERNIE
+1.7% ROI
·
·
·
·
Qwen
+1.0% ROI
·
·
·
·
Seed
+0.9% ROI
·
·
·
Claude
+0.8% ROI
·
·
·
Gemini
+0.6% ROI
·
·
·
·
Kimi
+0.6% ROI
·
·
·
ChatGPT
-0.9% ROI
·
·
·
·
·
GLM
-1.0% ROI
·
·
·
·
·
Grok
-1.8% ROI
·
·
·
·
·
WizardLM
-2.3% ROI
·
·
·
·
·
Recent Form
Athletic Bilbao and Deportivo Alaves's recent form
Last ten matches each side.
Athletic Bilbao
4
Wins
1
Draws
5
Losses
15
Scored
13
Conceded
4
Clean sheets
4
BTTS
12 SepLALAthletic Bilbao1–1ElcheD
5 SepLALAthletic Bilbao3–0Atletico MadridW
30 AugLALCelta Vigo0–2Athletic BilbaoW
27 AugLALBarcelona2–0Athletic BilbaoL
22 AugLALAthletic Bilbao1–3SevillaL
21 AugFRIReal Zaragoza3–1Athletic BilbaoL
14 AugFRIAtalanta1–0Athletic BilbaoL
9 AugFRIMarseille3–1Athletic BilbaoL
1 AugFRIBurgos CF0–3Athletic BilbaoW
29 JulFRIRacing Santander0–3Athletic BilbaoW
Deportivo Alaves
5
Wins
3
Draws
2
Losses
17
Scored
8
Conceded
4
Clean sheets
5
BTTS
15 SepLALDeportivo Alaves0–1ValenciaL
12 SepLALRacing Santander2–1Deportivo AlavesL
6 SepLALDeportivo Alaves5–2OsasunaW
28 AugLALDeportivo Alaves1–0VillarrealW
20 AugLALRayo Vallecano1–1Deportivo AlavesD
15 AugLALDeportivo Alaves3–0GetafeW
7 AugFRIRacing Santander1–1Deportivo AlavesD
31 JulFRIDeportivo Alaves3–0CastellonW
25 JulFRIGirona0–1Deportivo AlavesW
18 JulFRIDeportivo Alaves1–1EibarD
Head to Head
Athletic Bilbao vs Deportivo Alaves·last 10 meetings
