Athletic Bilbao vs Qarabag Prediction: Visitors have the momentum

Athletic Club are yet to get going in the Uefa Champions League, with the La Liga outfit losing their opening two fixtures agains Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund. They welcome Qarabag to San Mames on Wednesday (17:45 BST, TNT Sports 4), with the visitors having won their first two games against Benfica and Kobenhavn.

Below you will find my Athletic Bilbao vs Qarabag predictions, aided by the latest team news and match odds.

Team News

Yeray Alvarez is going to miss out for Athletic again through suspension, while Benat Prados and Unai Egiluz (both ACL) are out with long-term injuries for the home side.

Inaki Williams will need to be assessed ahead of Wednesday's clash because of a muscular issue, but there is hope that he should be able to feature alongside his brother, Nico, in the final third.

Oihan Sancet and Gorka Guruzeta also set to feature in attack for the hosts, and there are unlikely to be any surprise inclusions in Ernesto Valverde's team selection.

Football Odds

Qarabag have declared no fresh injury concerns ahead of this clash, which is good news for the in-form Azerbaijan outfit. Abdellah Zoubir has scored four goals and registered four assists in all competitions this season, and the 33-year-old will be hoping to profit against an Athletic side who are yet to make their mark in Europe this term.

Leandro Andrade has four goals and three assists this campaign and so he will also feature in the side, while there will likely be places in the XI for Kady Borges and Camilo Duran.

Today's Football Fixtures

Athletic Bilbao vs Qarabag Odds

Athletic are perceived as the 3/10 favourites to win this match. They have won four of their nine games in La Liga but have tasted defeat in both UCL appearances.

The draw is marketed at 9/2, while 10/1 (implied probability of 9.1%) for a Qarabag victory looks enticing as they have picked up maximum points so far in Europe.

There were goals at both ends in Qarabag's 3-2 win at Benfica and BTTS Yes is valued at 1/1 on this occasion.

Double Chance - Draw or Qarabag @ 12/5

We may only be two games in to the league phase but Qarabag have caught the eye. They are one of six teams to have won both fixtures to date and they are keeping in good company among the likes of defending champions Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal.

They stunned Benfica in Lisbon on matchday one before outsmarting Kobenhavn on home turf last time out. The visitors should have gained plenty of confidence from these two victories and I think their strong start could continue in Bilbao.

The home team have lost both their matches in the Champions League thus far and they are going to need things to click sooner rather than later. An opportunity at San Mames gives them a chance to get off the mark but they are facing one of the form sides in Europe in Qarabag, and I think there is real value in backing the visitors.

Of course, Athletic can be stubborn when playing at home, so I think the 12/5 price for draw or Qarabag is the smart play on Wednesday. If the hosts' attacking stars turn up they can conjure up a point at least here, but they will find it tough trying to blunt this Qarabag side who are playing very well at the moment.

Both teams to score Yes @ 1/1

In the Williams brothers, Oihan Sancet and Co. - Athletic are not short of capable goalscorers. They have not started well in Europe but as we saw last season, the eight-round league phase gives you plenty of chances to turn your fortunes around and move up the standings.

While I may not be confident in them coming away with the three points here, they can certainly play their part. I think BTTS Yes is a selection worth considering because it was a successful bet in Qarabag's last away trip in the UCL against Benfica.

This has also been a winning selection in Athletic's previous two competitive appearances at San Mames.

Offers

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