Athletic Bilbao vs Sevilla Predictions

Athletic Bilbao vs Sevilla predictions for their Sunday’s La Liga fixture. Athletic Bilbao host Sevilla at San Mamés on Sunday evening, seeking a winning start to their 2025-26 La Liga campaign. Read on for all our free predictions and betting tips.

La Liga | Aug 17 2025 at 6:30 pm UK at San Mames Barria

Athletic Bilbao vs Sevilla Predictions

Can Sevilla Frustrate Champions League-Bound Bilbao at San Mamés?

• Bilbao’s pre-season collapse
  • Athletic Bilbao lost six of their seven summer friendlies, raising serious doubts about sharpness, confidence and whether their squad is ready for La Liga intensity.
• Sevilla’s revival under Almeyda
  • The Andalusians lost just one of their seven pre-season games, showing resilience and adaptability as the new manager’s high-energy approach already pays dividends.
• Bilbao missing key players
  • Without Oihan Sancet and Yeray Alvarez, plus doubts over Nico Williams’ form, the Basques look far from their strongest going into Sunday’s opener.

Best Bet for Athletic Bilbao vs Sevilla

San Mamés will be buzzing on Sunday night as Athletic Bilbao return to La Liga action against Sevilla in what promises to be a dramatic curtain-raiser. The Basques enter the new campaign on the back of a fourth-place finish that secured a return to the Champions League, something their fans have been dreaming of for over a decade. But if anyone thinks this is a simple opening stroll for Ernesto Valverde’s side, they probably haven’t paid much attention to how pre-season went. Six defeats from seven friendlies is hardly the stuff of champions, and there is already a nervous energy around Bilbao, with doubts about form, fitness and whether the optimism from last season can carry over.

Sevilla, on the other hand, survived by the skin of their teeth last term, finishing a painful 17th. Yet somehow, they seem the more relaxed of the two sides right now. A summer change in the dugout, some smart free transfers, and a lively set of pre-season showings have given their fans a little spring in their step. For once, they are arriving in the Basque Country not fearing a hammering, but believing they can stand toe-to-toe with a team that might just be wobbling before the season has even kicked off.

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Best Bet for this match

For this clash, our Best Bet is Sevilla Double Chance (Win or Draw). Among all possible betting angles, this has stood out as the strongest and most logical choice. Here at BettingTips4You, we don’t flood readers with dozens of options—just one quality prediction per game, and we hold ourselves accountable for it. This clarity means no endless scrolling, no confusion, just a single expert call. Sevilla to avoid defeat feels like the value pick in this contest, and here’s why.

Athletic may have the upper hand in terms of last season’s standings, but their pre-season has been nothing short of a nightmare. Injuries have only deepened the concerns: Oihan Sancet is out, Unai Egiluz too, and even Nico Williams, their brightest star, looked frustrated and off-colour in friendlies despite putting pen to paper on a new deal. Losing six pre-season matches doesn’t just knock confidence, it puts cracks in the armour that opponents can sense.

Sevilla, meanwhile, have quietly rebuilt. Bringing in Gabriel Suazo and Alfon Gonzalez may not grab headlines, but they add solidity and depth. More importantly, Matias Almeyda has injected belief and energy into a group that looked flat for much of last year. Dodi Lukebakio, who hit double figures in La Liga last season, remains a key threat, and his pace could easily exploit Athletic’s defensive reshuffle, especially with Yeray Alvarez suspended.

Form and fitness momentum is clearly with the visitors, and even though San Mamés is notoriously tough, Sevilla showed last year they could leave here with a point. With their pressing style and fresh confidence, they are more than capable of doing it again.

As our UK expert Steve Harrington put it:

“Athletic Bilbao are favourites on paper, but football isn’t played on last season’s table. Given their dreadful pre-season and mounting absences, Sevilla have every chance of spoiling the party. Don’t underestimate the Andalusians’ spirit under Almeyda.”

Given all the circumstances, the most likely outcome feels like a 1-1 draw. Bilbao might scrape a goal thanks to home energy and the Williams brothers’ pace, but Sevilla’s resilience and Lukebakio’s threat should ensure they don’t leave empty-handed.

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