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Athletic Club begin their Champions League adventure with a home match against Arsenal at Estadio San Mames. Tuesday will be the first time these teams have met in competitive action, giving one a great chance to open with a win and secure three vital UCL points. Will the locals achieve the desired result, sending their fans home happy, or will Arsenal win and take the spoils back to London? You can make your predictions now.
Flashscore’s experienced football betting writer Frank Monkhouse has researched the form of both teams, analysed the head-to-head stats, sniffed out the best betting odds and finalised his Athletic Club vs Arsenal picks. He offers three selections in Bilbao, providing readers with a range of options and odds to suit their budget.
Athletic Club vs Arsenal tips
Under 2.5 goals @ 4/5 (bet365)
Gyokeres to score @ 6/5 (bet365)
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at the time of publication and subject to change.
Hosts enjoy a strong start
Athletic Club finished fourth in La Liga last season, with their statistics showing 19 wins, 13 draws, and six defeats, scoring 54 goals and conceding 29. Those stats show that the locals had the best defence in the league, conceding one goal fewer than their nearest rivals, Atletico Madrid. That’ll give fans cause for optimism entering this campaign, and if they can turn some of those draws into wins, another strong season is guaranteed.
Athletic picked up where they left off, winning and collecting three points in their first game of the new season. They beat Sevilla by the odd goal in five on matchday one, before earning a 1-0 home win over Rayo Vallecano. The team from Bilbao ended August with a proud unbeaten record, thanks to a 2-1 away win over Real Betis. The visit of Arsenal comes at exactly the right time for The Lions, and fans hope for another eye-catching victory.
It would be easy to make a strong and convincing case for the home team continuing their form, but I’ll start with a bet on under 2.5 goals in the game. That approach would’ve landed you a profit in that narrow in over Vallecano at this venue. It’s also worth remembering the same bet would’ve paid in two of Arsenal’s first three Premier League outings, beating Man Utd 1-0 at Old Trafford and the 1-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield.
Tip: Under 2.5 goals @ 4/5 (bet365)
Bet explanation: If Tuesday’s match produces fewer than three goals for both teams combined, your bet wins.
Gunners aim for an away win
Arsenal are one of the early betting favourites at major online bookmakers to win the Champions League next spring. Mikel Arteta’s side have been knocking on the door domestically, finishing as the best of the rest behind Liverpool and Man City. It’s been a while since the club has given fans something to cheer about in this competition. Still, fans will travel from London to Bilbao knowing that Tuesday presents a fantastic opportunity to secure an early win. Will the players deliver?
Arsenal started the EPL programme with a battling win over Manchester United away from home on matchday one. Heading to the Theatre of Dreams wasn’t an ideal opening fixture, but the Gunners fought hard, leaving with a deserved win thanks to Riccardo Calafiori. The scorer seized on a mistake from the Man Utd goalkeeper to net the winner early in the match, ensuring United’s £200m summer rebuild endured a false start.
Arsenal then flexed their muscles at home, hammering Leeds United 5-0 before more than 60,000 fans. The Londoners did suffer their first defeat when losing 1-0 at Anfield to a jaw-dropping late free-kick from Dominik Szoboszlai. There’s certainly no shame in a tight defeat at the home of the champions, and I’m picking Arsenal to shade it in Spain. The visitors have shown themselves to be organised in defence and ruthless in attack.
Tip: Arsenal win @ 19/20 (bet365)
Bet explanation: You need Arsenal to beat Athletic Club by any scoreline on Tuesday.
Stick with the super Swede
Our third and final bet in Bilbao is on Swedish attacker Viktor Gyokeres to add to his scoring tally. The 27-year-old from Stockholm arrived at the Emirates Stadium from Sporting and has quickly become a fans’ favourite after swapping Lisbon for the UK capital. The number 14 netted twice in that 5-0 rout of Leeds last month, giving fans a taste of what to expect from him in the coming weeks and months.
Viktor is building sharpness and fitness, appearing three times for Arsenal and scoring that double, before featuring for Sweden with a draw away to Slovenia and a defeat in Kosovo. He’ll be eager to get his first Champions League goal for Arsenal, and I’m picking him to do just that in midweek.
You can bet on Gyokeres to score the opening goal at chunky odds, but I’m happy to play it safe and back him in the anytime scorer market. With this wager, it doesn’t matter if he nets in the opening seconds from long range or a tap-in with the final touch of the ball. They all count. Your scorer bet will be live for as long as Viktor is on the field of play.
Tip: Gyokeres to score @ 6/5 (bet365)
Bet explanation: You’ll secure a profit on your bet if Gyokeres scores for Arsenal at any stage of the play.
Athletic Club vs Arsenal odds
Athletic Club win @ 29/10 (bet365)
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The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.