Can the Periquitos turn things around once again?
When Espanyol Barcelona celebrated a 2-1 away win at Athletic Bilbao on December 22, 2025, the Periquitos were dreaming of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League following a fantastic first half of the season. What followed, however, was an absolute nightmare. Since the turn of the year, the Catalans have failed to win any of their subsequent 18 La Liga matches (six draws, twelve losses).
If Espanyol Barcelona’s bet on a home win for the Periquitos against Athletic Bilbao doesn’t pay off, the club—which was a solid Champions League contender just a few months ago—could even face relegation. After all, they are now just two points ahead of the first relegation spot.
Meanwhile, things have also taken a sharp downturn for “Los Leones” recently. Athletic Bilbao has lost seven of its last ten competitive matches (three wins) and has thus slipped to ninth place. However, with just one point separating them from seventh place, the Basques still have a chance to qualify for European competition. We therefore expect Ernesto Valverde’s team to give it their all against the struggling Periquitos. Since the Catalans are also in deep water, this could turn into a heated battle. Against this backdrop, we recommend betting on both teams to score.
Based purely on the statistics—Espanyol has scored only 18 goals in 17 La Liga home games, while Bilbao has managed just 19 goals in 17 away games—a low-scoring match would generally be expected. The fact is, however, that both teams desperately need points to prevent the season from ending in disaster.
Things could get particularly heated in the second half. So, if you’re willing to take a bit more risk to get the most out of the odds, you can also bet on over 1.5 goals in the second half via the Betano app at odds of 2.47.
Espanyol Barcelona – Athletic Bilbao Head-to-Head Record
Head-to-Head: 70 – 42 – 88
The two teams have already faced each other in 200 competitive matches, and with 88 wins, Athletic Bilbao holds a narrow lead in the head-to-head record. In the first leg, however, the Basques suffered a 1-2 defeat to Espanyol Barcelona on their home turf. At their own stadium, meanwhile, the Catalans have managed just one win in their last seven home games against the Leones (five draws, one loss).
Espanyol Barcelona – Athletic Bilbao Prediction
Although the Catalans won the first leg in the Basque Country 2-1, they subsequently went winless in 18 consecutive La Liga matches (six draws, twelve losses). As a result, RCD Espanyol has plummeted from fourth place to 16th and is now just two points ahead of the first relegation spot.
However, the Leones have also lost seven of their last ten competitive matches (three wins). This makes it correspondingly difficult to predict the outcome of the match between Espanyol Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao. After all, both clubs are lacking momentum.
If there were nothing at stake, bets on a scoreless, tight match would certainly look promising. But since both teams desperately need points—Espanyol faces relegation and Athletic Club the risk of missing out on European competition—we expect plenty of action. Therefore, the bet on over 2.5 goals is highly favored.
