Sunday's La Liga and Ligue 1 predictions and free football tips

Best bets

Athletic Bilbao to beat Barcelona
LaLigaTV & Viaplay Sports 1, 8pm
1pt 15-8 bet365

Lyon to beat Lens
TNT Sports 2, 7.45pm
1pt 8-5 bet365

Sunday European football predictions

Athletic Bilbao put in a breathtaking performance to beat Atletico Madrid 3-0 in the Copa del Rey semi-finals on Thursday and they can follow up with another home win against Barcelona.

Ernesto Valverde's men will face Mallorca in the cup final in April but they cannot take their eye off the ball in La Liga with a first top-four finish in a decade within reach.

So they will have plenty of incentive to attack Sunday's game with Barcelona, who are in no-man's land in La Liga, likely to finish in the top four but too far off the pace in the title race.

Xavi will be leaving at the end of the season and may feel the Champions League represents a better shot at success and Barca look there to be taken on at the San Mames.

The Catalan giants have not lost on the road in La Liga this term but they are coming up against one of the best home sides in the division in Athletic Bilbao, who have won ten of their 13 league games on their own patch.

The hosts will be without key forward Nico Williams, who is suspended, but nonetheless have the quality to get over the line against Xavi's men.

Lyon took their time to get going under Pierre Sage, who was named interim head coach in November, but they have now found their rhythm and can get the better of Lens at the Groupama Stadium on Sunday.

In February, Lyon won five of their six games in all competitions, drawing the other with Strasbourg in the French Cup quarter-finals but winning 4-3 on penalties nonetheless.

They are brimming with confidence and can add to their win tally against the Blood and Gold, who have failed to win any of their last four games, losing their last two 3-2 against Freiburg and Monaco.

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