“A 15-game unbeaten streak in La Liga has Athletic Bilbao sitting comfortably in 4th, flying under the radar as potential outsiders for the league title – as it stands, they are just 6 points off of league-leaders Barcelona.

One of the key reasons for their success in this campaign has been their results in front of their home support. At the San Mames Stadium, Athletic Bilbao boast the exceptional record of 7 wins, 4 draws and 1 loss from their 12 games so far.

They are averaging 2.08 points per game, and sit 3rd in the league based on home form, behind both Madrid clubs.

Meanwhile, Valladolid find themselves anchored to the bottom of the league, having lost 11 of their 12 away games. Their form could not be any worse, with the unwanted record of 5 straight losses in La Liga.

Worryingly, they have only managed 2 goals in that time, whilst conceding 15.”

“Leipzig’s fortress-like home form makes them strong favourites here, while Heidenheim’s struggles, particularly on the road, suggest another difficult outing for the visitors.

Leipzig began their season in spectacular fashion, defeating reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen on their own turf. However, while their home form has been formidable, their away inconsistencies have hindered their ability to fully capitalise on their early promise.

At the Red Bull Arena, though, they remain dominant, losing just once in the league this season (W6, D3). They come into this match unbeaten in their last 5 home games across all competitions (W4, D1), reinforcing their credentials as overwhelming favourites.

The task ahead for Heidenheim appears daunting. 7 points adrift of safety and reeling from 5 consecutive league defeats, they have managed to score just twice during this dismal run. Their attacking struggles are compounded by Leipzig’s defensive solidity, with Marco Rose’s side boasting the joint-second-best home defence in the Bundesliga.

If Heidenheim are to pull off an upset, they will need to overcome a dire away record, having won just twice on the road this season. However, both victories come with caveats, one was a 2-0 win over a 10-man Mainz who played with a numerical disadvantage for over an hour, the other being on matchday 1 all the way back in August.

History does little to inspire confidence for Heidenheim either. Since their return to the Bundesliga in 2023/24, they have lost all 3 encounters against Leipzig, a trend that points towards another away defeat and a step closer to relegation.

For Leipzig, this is an opportunity to further cement their Champions League ambitions and extend their impressive home record. For Heidenheim, the battle for survival grows ever more desperate.”

“Stefan Ortega was forced into making 5 saves in the initial meeting between these sides at Anfield earlier in the season. Liverpool have the most dangerous attacking line in the Premier League which can exploit Manchester City’s vulnerabilities to fast breaks this campaign.

Ederson is expected to line up as City’s goalkeeper here, he’s having to make 2.31 saves per game in the Premier League this term which is a metric we can expect to rise here when looking at how often Liverpool test the opposition goalkeeper.

Arne Slot’s side have drawn 3+ saves from their opponents in 18 of their 26 Premier League matches this season (69%) underlining how much of an attacking threat the Reds can pose Pep Guardiola’s side here.

Manchester City’s goalkeeper has been forced into making 3+ saves in 6 of their last 10 Premier League games, it’ll be difficult for the Cityzens to contend with the depth of attacking quality at Liverpool’s disposal, a strength that has seen them average 6.5 shots on target per game in the Premier League this season – more than any other side in the division.”

“Real Sociedad were clinical in midweek, they beat Midtjylland 5-2 in the Europa League to book their spot in the next round. In total, they amassed 22 shots with 10 on target, which amounted to 4.6 xG. Luka Sucic was the standout performer, bagging a brace on the night.

Sociedad have generally looked a lot more confident at the Anoeta Stadium, reflected in their average of 1.42 points per game at home, compared to 1.17 on the road.

Goals have also been more common at home, with the Basque side averaging 2.1 goals scored per game at home, compared to 1.5 away.

Leganes have been less free-flowing in their approach, but have seen over 1.5 goals land in 8 of their 12 away games this campaign. This selection has also landed in each of the last 7 head-to-head meetings between these sides.”