Lays of the Weekend: Bilbao won't halt Sevilla's ascent

Michael Lintorn
24 April 2014

Artiz Aduriz has been Athletic Bilbao's leading scorer this season

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Michael Lintorn is opposing Athletic Bilbao in La Liga's fight for fourth, as well as taking on Hertha Berlin and Sheffield Wednesday...

"A hellacious sequence of nine victories in ten, in which Sociedad and Real Madrid were conquered, has pushed Sevilla to within three points of fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao."
Lay Hertha Berlin to beat Braunschweig @ 2.0621/20

Lay Hertha Berlin to beat Braunschweig @ 2.0621/20
There have been one or two occasions when this column has been made to regret putting faith in Braunschweig, though this is our most confident lay of one of their opponents all season. Hertha Berlin have little left to fight for in their first year back in the Bundesliga, with survival secured but Europe out of range, and they aren't afraid to broadcast the fact judging by their nine-match winless run. Even worse, they haven't triumphed as hosts in 2014. Their bleak streak at the Olympiastadion stretches six fixtures, while they have netted once in open play across the last four. Braunschweig have only been beaten three times in nine encounters - two of those against top-three sides.

Lay Sheffield Wednesday to beat Bolton @ 2.3611/8
Sheffield Wednesday are guaranteed to play Championship football next term, which is a laudable achievement having pocketed a mere 11 points from their first 16 games. However, there has been a hint of a team whose main objective for the campaign has been reached in their last few results. The Owls have only won one in six and none in three at Hillsborough, leaking ten goals along the way and surrendering a 2-0 eighth-minute lead at home to lowly Charlton on Easter Monday to suffer defeat. Bolton by contrast have endured a frustrating 2013/14, but may feel that the loyalty shown to boss Dougie Freedman has been vindicated by a recent rise, winning seven in 13 and losing just two.

Lay Athletic Bilbao to beat Sevilla @ 2.01/1
What happens when you remove Gary Medel, Jesus Navas and Alvaro Negredo from the ninth-best club in Spain? Oddly, they reach the Europa League semi-finals and threaten to steal one of La Liga's Champions League qualifying spots. A hellacious sequence of nine victories in ten, in which Sociedad and Real Madrid were conquered, has pushed them to within three points of fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao. It means that if they become the third visitors to win at the new San Mames on Sunday, they will leapfrog Ernesto Valverde's men by virtue of a superior head-to-head record. Athletic have won just twice in 12 clashes with top-eight rivals this season and the last of those successes arrived on December 1.