LaLiga Preview: Leganés Struggles with Scoring at Home, Athletic Bilbao Aims for Points Away

On September 20th at 01:00, the 7th round of LaLiga matches will see Leganés face off against Athletic Bilbao.

After five rounds in LaLiga, Leganés has one win, two draws, and two losses, accumulating 5 points and ranking 15th. Meanwhile, Athletic Bilbao has two wins, one draw, and two losses, totaling 7 points and ranking 11th. Leganés has won once and lost once in their first two home games, while Athletic Bilbao also has a win and a loss in their first two away games. Notably, Athletic Bilbao has scored six goals and conceded six in their five league games this season. The only time they were shut out was during the fourth round when they lost 0-1 to Atlético Madrid at home.

Leganés has been shut out in their last three league games. In their match against Real Betis last week, they had only three shots on goal, two of which were from long range. Among the 20 teams in LaLiga this season, Leganés has the lowest average possession rate, the fewest touches in the opponent’s penalty area, and the second-lowest expected goals created.

Although Athletic Bilbao may be disappointed with only seven points from their first five games, considering they accumulated ten points in the first five games of the 2023/24 season, their two losses were against Atlético Madrid and Barcelona. Taking this into account, coach Ernesto Valverde should be satisfied with the team’s performance so far this season.

Injury situation. For Leganés, the fitness of Renato Tapia and Iván Nieva is uncertain, but they are the only two players currently injured. Midfielder Julián Chico may replace Nieva in the starting lineup, possibly partnering with Darko Brasanac. As for Athletic Bilbao, defender Yeray Álvarez and goalkeeper Unai Simón will miss the game, and Mikel Balenziaga is suspended. Beñat Prado is likely to replace Balenziaga in Athletic Bilbao’s midfield, while Julen Agirrezabala is expected to continue as the goalkeeper.

The history between the two teams is not extensive, having faced each other only eight times across all competitions, with Athletic Bilbao holding a slight advantage with three wins, three draws, and two losses. Their last encounter was in the 2019/20 LaLiga season, where Leganés managed one win and one draw against Athletic Bilbao over two legs.

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