Real Madrid are heading to San Mamés on Wednesday night, looking to finally get back to winning ways in La Liga. It has been a tough spell for Los Blancos; they haven’t won in the league since beating Valencia 4-0 in November.
They shared points with Girona, Rayo Vallecano, and Elche. Sitting second in the table, just one point behind Barcelona, the pressure is mounting for Xabi Alonso’s side. A win here is important if they don’t want to see the gap grow further.
The club posted photos of their players preparing for the game via their official X account.
View the post below:
Athletic Bilbao, meanwhile, comes into this one in slightly better spirits after a 2-0 win at Levante, with Robert Navarro and Nico Williams finding the net.
The Basque side have been inconsistent this season, partly because injuries hit them hard early on, and they have not really looked like a top-four team. But Athletic are capable of making life difficult, especially for a Real Madrid team that hasn’t been at their best lately.
Softfootball understands that Real Madrid will be relying heavily on Kylian Mbappe, who’s been in unstoppable form, with 14 goals in 14 La Liga games.
Team news
Athletic will get a boost with Ruiz de Galarreta back from suspension, but Oihan Sancet is still banned. Injuries are a problem too.
Benat Prados, Unai Egiluz, Maroan Sannadi, and Robert Navarro are all out, and Inaki Williams is still a doubt. Navarro’s absence could mean Unai Gomez comes into the XI, and youngster Selton Sanchez might get a start.
Laporte is likely back after missing the Levante game with illness.
Los Blancos, on their side, will be without Dani Carvajal, while Huijsen, Alaba, and Raul Asencio are all doubts. Militao and Rudiger are back, Carreras could return at left-back, and Camavinga might replace Guler in midfield.
Possible Lineups
Athletic Bilbao:
Simon; Gorosabel, Laporte, Vivian, Berchiche; Ruiz de Galarreta, Jauregizar; Berenguer, Sanchez, N. Williams; Gomez
Real Madrid:
Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Militao, Rudiger, Carreras; Camavinga, Valverde, Tchouameni; Bellingham; Mbappe, Vinicius
Softfootball’s Prediction
Real Madrid haven’t looked their best recently. But Los Blancos still have enough quality to get the job done. Expect a tight game, probably decided by Mbappe or Vinicius, with Madrid just about taking all three points.
prediction: Athletic Bilbao 1–2 Real Madrid
