Rayo Vallecano vs Athletic Club — Tips & Analysis

Under 2.75: Athletic barely score, and that is the main reason we want a quiet night in Vallecas. They get a goal a game, and 7 in every 10 of their games have ended with 2 goals or fewer. Their team news makes that worse. Nico Williams and Oihan Sancet are both out, and they are the two who turn Athletic's good build up into goals. Egiluz and Djalo are missing too, and Athletic have won once in their last four away trips. Rayo are hard to beat at home but they are no goal machine. They are unbeaten in seven at Vallecas, four wins and three ties, scoring almost 2 goals a game there and letting in just over a goal. The history fits the same picture. The last 20 meetings have averaged more than 2 goals in total, and the most recent one finished 1-1. That is the read again here, a scrappy night where Rayo's crowd and Athletic's caution cancel each other out. A 1-1 sits inside what we want. The honest worry is Rayo's goalkeeper. First choice keeper Augusto Batalla is out with a broken calf bone. A stand in keeper behind a side that lets in more than a goal at home is a real risk. Athletic have also been making plenty of chances over their last four games. We still want the low scoring game.