Prediction: Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid

Verdict: Real Madrid to win at HT and FT – yes

Best Odds: 27/25

Bookmaker: 888sport

Athletic Bilbao need a win if they do not want to suffer further complications with the relegation standings. but they will have a tough opponent this Saturday since they will host Real Madrid. Los Merengues need the three points if they want to get closer to FC Barcelona in the Liga standings. The game will start at 19:45 BST, and Antonio Mateu will be the referee.

Athletic Bilbao

To say that Athletic Bilbao have been on negative form would be an understatement for the problems the club is currently going through. Aside from the fact they lost to Formentera at home in the Copa del Rey earlier this week, their Liga play has been subpar and only sit two points above the relegation zone at the moment. They are currently riding a five-game winless streak, and have won just once in their last 10 Liga matches. To make things even more complicated, they have just one win in their last four home Liga games. Athletic have struggled to score on a consistent basis (14 goals in 13 matches) and have kept just two clean sheets in their last 15 games across all competitions despite having one of the best goalkeepers in Spain in Kepa. Some of their key players have not lived up to expectations and it seems the manager Jose Angel Ziganda is under heavy pressure right now. A defeat against Real Madrid might be expected. But if they suffer a blowout loss, then the situation might become unsustainable.

Team News

Athletic Bilbao won’t have two of their best players available for this game. Aymeric Laporte is suspended, and Iker Muniain continues to rehab from a nagging knee injury.

Yeray Alvarez will be a game-time decision due to illness. The same goes for Benat Exteberria (undisclosed) and Iker Undabarrena (knee).

Real Madrid

Real Madrid might sit in fourth place in the Liga standings and might have already secured their berth to the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League. However, Los Merengues have not lived up to expectations, and the fanbase is not happy with the way the team has been performing during the current term. Even though they have been far more successful in recent weeks and are going through a positive run of results, no one expected Madrid to be eight points behind the top spot in the standings so early in the season. The poor play of Cristiano Ronaldo – who only has two goals in nine Liga appearances – might be a factor, but the rest of the team has struggled as well. One positive thing is that they have shown signs of life in recent weeks. They have not lost in their last five games across all competitions, and seven of their their games have seen 2,5 goals. At the very least, they are not struggling to score. If they can find a bit more consistency on the defensive end, they might turn things around sooner than later.

Team News

Marco Asensio and Luca Zidane have been ruled out of this game. The talented playmaker is dealing with a hip injury, while the goalkeeper is out due to a shoulder problem.

Gareth Bale will be a game-time decision due to a calf problem. The Welsh winger will need a late-fitness test to determine his availability.

Key Factors to Consider

• Athletic Bilbao’s recent form has been quite poor. They are riding a five-game winless streak in La Liga, and have just one win in their last 10 league matches.
• Real Madrid have been the exact opposite, as they are riding a five-game undefeated streak across all competitions.
• Los Blancos’ most-recent result wasn’t a positive one, however. They settled for a 2-2 draw against Fuenlabrada in the Copa del Rey. Meanwhile, Athletic lost to Formentera in the same competition.
• Real Madrid have been scoring at a decent rate lately, since seven of their last nine matches have seen over 2,5 goals.
• Real Madrid have been winning at both half-time and full-time in six of their last eight Liga games.

Conclusion

Real Madrid have been in far better than form that Bilbao, and they seem to be turning things around after a slow start to the season.

As mentioned above, Los Blancos have been winning at both half-time and full-time in six of their last eight Liga games, while accomplishing that same feat in five of their last seven trips to Bilbao. Things shouldn’t be any different now.

Verdict: Real Madrid to win at HT and FT – yes

Best Odds: 27/25

Bookmaker: 888sport