Valencia CF Faces Athletic Club in High-Stakes Match This Saturday

Valencia, Spain – Valencia CF will host Athletic Club on Saturday, September 20 at 3:00 PM ET at the Estadio de Mestalla. This match comes after Valencia suffered a heavy defeat against FC Barcelona, losing 6-0 in their last outing.

In their previous match against Barcelona, Valencia was outshot 23 to 4, highlighting their struggles in both offense and defense. These trends will need to change if they are to secure a win against Athletic Club, who currently holds a record of 3-0-1 this season.

The odds favor Athletic Club, ranked at -152, while Valencia is at +126. Each team has a distinct strategic approach going into the match and the overall goal total is set at 3. Starting goalkeepers will be Julen Agirrezabala for Valencia and Unai Simon for Athletic Club.

Valencia’s defense has faced challenges this season, allowing 2 goals with a goals against average of 0.67 per 90 minutes. They currently rank 8th in the Big 5 soccer leagues for assists with 4 but face a tough challenge against Athletic Club, who has allowed only 4 goals this season.

Athletic Club has maintained a solid save percentage of 63.6% and aims to extend their lead in the standings, currently sitting at 9 points. Valencia’s key player Mouctar Diakhaby will be pivotal in breaking through Athletic Club’s defense, having adjusted his gameplay effectively this season.

As both teams prepare for this critical clash, fans and analysts alike are eager to see if Valencia can turn their fortunes and tighten the race for LaLiga standings.