Rapid Vienna v Athletic Bilbao Betting Tips

One of the final matches in Group F sees Athletic Bilbao take on Rapid Vienna. Although the two teams to qualify from the group has already been decided with Athletic going through with KRC Genk, top spot has yet to be confirmed and the Spaniards will be hoping to claim that first place with a win here.

Two draws against Italian side and Europa League newcomers Sassuolo have cost Rapid Vienna any chance of playing in the knockout rounds. Their only win of the group campaign was on match-day one when they sneaked past KRC Genk in a 3-2 victory. Since then it has all gone pear-shaped and their focus will now switch back to the Austrian Bundesliga. Having said that, the side from the Austria capital are a huge 12 points off top spot and have been on a terrible run with just two wins in their last ten league matches so we could argue that, even as early as December, Rapid have little to play for.

New manager Damir Canadi has not been able to solve Rapid’s problems with both goal-scoring and defending being a problem for them with just four clean sheets in 18 Austrian Bundesliga matches and no shutouts in any of their Europa League group games. The fact that they are unable to keep clean sheets means they have to score at least two goals to win any match – something which the team are clearly struggling with as they have not scored more than one goal in any of their last six matches.

Confidence will also not be at its highest point for this match at home to Bilbao as Rapid have won just once in their last six games at Allianz Stadion and even that victory was against relegation-threatened St. Pölten at the weekend.

Thanks to a poorer head-to-head record against current group leaders KRC Genk, Athletic Bilbao are relying on their Belgian opponents to slip up against Sassuolo as well as winning or drawing their own match against Rapid.

Athletic were of course finalists in this competition as recently as 2012 but this campaign has not gone so well with their two losses against Sassuolo and KRC Genk costing them. Of course the Spanish side will still qualify for the Last 32 but could miss out on that all-important seeding if they fail to top the group – which many expected them to do when the draw was made – quite incredible when you think all of their players are from the Basque region.

Ernesto Valverde’s men have been on a good run in recent weeks with just one defeat in their last eight matches – winning five of them. This impressive form has put them seventh in a very tight La Liga table, just two points off Atletico Madrid in the Champions League spots.

Unfortunately, most of these results have come at home and Athletic actually have a pretty dreadful record on the road with just one win in their last five matches.

With Athletic having so much to play for and this being a dead rubber for Rapid, I can only see one result here and that is an away win which is worth being on at 5/4. Do not be put up off by Athletic’s away record like the bookmakers have, this is a huge game for the Spaniards and they should beat an unmotivated Rapid fairly comfortably.

Another likable bet is ‘2-3 Total Goals’ at 21/20. Although I expect Athletic to win, I do not think they will thrash their Austrian counterparts as nerves will surely have a bit of an impact but a comfortable win by two or three goals nonetheless.

See more tips Europa League tips here.