Bilbao to Czech out without a win

6Dec 2012

Europa Liga

Last year's runners up, Athletic Bilbao, are odds-on for their Europa League clash with Sparta Prague, but with the hosts already out, Paul Robinson thinks they should be opposed.

Bilbao are having a terrible time of it compared to last season; 15th in La Liga and only third in their Europa League group. As they are four points adrift of second place, tonight's match is just an inconvenience for manager, Marcelo Bielsa, as he tries to prepare his team for the test of Celta Vigo on Sunday.

It's doubtful that the boss will play his first team this evening, but even if he did, they are in poor form anyway. The Lions have won just four of their last 17 matches, and five of 11 at home this term, with two of those coming against European minnows during the qualifying rounds of this competition.

Sparta Prague are safely through to the knockout phase and it could be argued that they have nothing to play for either as they are five points adrift of Lyon at the top. The difference between them and Bilbao though is that Sparta don't play again till next February, so there is little point in resting players, and they will want to go into the break on a high.

Vítězslav Lavička's side are unbeaten in their last 13 matches, including a 3-1 victory over tonight's opponents in the reverse fixture, and their sole loss in Group I came at French giants, Lyon, which can be easily excused.

Bilbao at odds-on in a game that doesn't matter to them is not my idea of value, so despite home advantage, at around the 1.91 mark, I have to make them my lay of the day.