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Real Madrid will travel to Basque Country on Wednesday to play Athletic Bilbao at the San Mames stadium as they look to continue their strong start to the season and keep pace with league leaders Barcelona.
Athletic Club’s sweet unpredictability has seen them make an underwhelming start to the new season. The Basque club opened their campaign with a stellar 5-1 victory against Barcelona over two legs in the Spanish Super Cup but succumbed to a 3-1 defeat against Villarreal in the league last weekend and have slumped to 13th on the table. Ernesto Valverde’s side have lost three of their four La Liga games this season.
A win against Real is exactly what the fans would want to kick start their journey towards the dizzying heights of the table.
Team News
Athletic Bilbao
Ander Iturraspe has recovered from a thigh injury and is ready to come back into action against Real. The 26-year-old was back in training on Monday and has given Valverde’s side a huge boost ahead of this highly anticipated encounter.
"I felt good during training, I was fine, I am available. We have a very important game. We need to win," said Iturraspe. "They have a team at a superlative level, there are not many differences from playing them now or later [in the season]. We have to play our game, we know we can beat them, but it is very complicated.
"When it comes to playing Madrid it is always a big party, the atmosphere is always very good and will be better."
But Inaki Williams, Iker Muniain and Eneko Boveda will miss the game on Wednesday as they still remain sidelined with their respective injuries.
Real Madrid
Centre-back Sergio Ramos has been ruled out of the game after dislocating his shoulder against Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League group stage opener last week. Pepe is expected to partner Raphael Varane at the heart of defense.
Rafael Benitez's side are also expected to go into the game without Gareth Bale (calf), James Rodriguez (thigh) and Danilo (foot) who have all been hit with injuries.
Lucas Vasquez is expected to partner Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema up front.
Kick-off time and Live Telecast
Channel: Sony Six
Date: 23rd September, Wednesday.
Kick-off: 21:00 CET (12:30 AM IST)
Venue: San Mames Stadium, Bilbao.
Form
Athletic Bilbao
Bilbao have registered just one win – against Getafe – in the opening four league games this season. The Basque club have certainly struggled to pick up form in the opening few games with three defeats against Barcelona, Eibar and Villarreal.
Ernesto Valverde will be hoping for Aritz Aduriz to continue his fine goal scoring form this season after bagging nine goals in ten games in all competitions. Raul Garcia, a summer signing from Atletico Madrid, has settled in well at his new club giving Valverde much needed grit and creativity in midfield.
But it is problems at the other end of the pitch that has given the Spaniard a headache. Bilbao currently boast the fourth poorest defensive record in the league and have conceded seven goals in four games averaging 1.75 goals per game.
Last five games (all competitions): L-L-W-W-L (Most recent: Villarreal 3-1 Athletic Bilbao)
Real Madrid
Real Madrid will go into the game at the back of an unbeaten start to the new season. Rafael Benitez’s men have won three and drawn one in the opening four games and currently sit second on the table.
The ten times European champions are yet to concede a goal in the league this season boasting a stunning defensive record. Los Blancos have been equally adept in the attack as well after scoring 12 goals in four games averaging three goals per game.
Cristiano Ronaldo has bagged eight goals already this season and with Karim Benzema, who has scored four so far, will be looking to test Bilbao’s faltering defence on Wednesday.
Last five games (all competitions): W-W-W-W-D (Most recent: Real Madrid 1-0 Granada)
Important quotes ahead of the match
Ernesto Valverde: “We haven't started the season well. Three points in the league are far too few and it's the league which tells you if you're doing the right or wrong things and if you're not doing well in the league, things become tense. Therefore we have to win. I know Madrid are next, but we need a win.”
Rafael Benitez: “We knew before the game that [Granada] could be difficult to face. They're a well-organised team who hit you on the counter. We didn't take our chances but still had more control and more possibilities. Madrid didn't underestimate Granada. I told you and my players of Granada's potential.”
Key Stats
- Athletic beat Real Madrid 1-0 in the last league meeting; they have not won consecutive games against them in La Liga since 2005 (3).
- The Whites have won three of their last five trips to Bilbao (D1 L1), but these three wins (all 3-0) came in their last three trips to the old San Mames.
- Of sides they faced in both 2013/14 and 2014/15, only at three away grounds did Real Madrid fail to claim a single victory; the Camp Nou, the Vicente Calderon and the new San Mames.
- These sides have met 168 times before in La Liga but only three times previously on a Wednesday.
- Real Madrid have won both previous trips to Bilbao to face Athletic on a Wednesday in a La Liga, winning 3-0 in 2012 and 5-0 in 1996.
- Athletic have misplaced the most passes this term (468) while Real have misplaced the fewest (278).
- Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 14 goals in 12 league meetings with Athletic but is yet to score at the new San Mames (two trips).
- Ibai Gomez has scored more goals against Real Madrid than any other current Athletic player (three).
Possible line-ups
Athletic Bilbao (4-2-3-1)
Iraizoz, De Marcos, Gurpegi, Laporte, Balenziaga, San Jose, Rico, Sabin, Eraso, Aketxe, Aduriz
Real Madrid (4-3-3)
Navas, Carvajal, Varane, Pepe, Marcelo, Modric, Kroos, Vasquez, Isco, Ronaldo, Benzema
Key Battles
Aritz Aduriz vs the Madrid backline
With Sergio Ramos ruled out of the game after dislocating his shoulder in the UEFA Champions League group stage clash against Shakhtar Donetsk last week, Madrid have their work cut out trying to contain Bilbao forward Aritz Aduriz who has been in stellar form this season.
Pepe is expected slot in beside Raphael Varane at the back and the defensive pairing could face a difficult time marking Aduriz who has scored nine goals in ten games in all competitions this season.
A rare specimen of a classical centre forward in the modern game, Aduriz will be aiming for the gaps in the back line. With Raul Garcia pulling the strings from midfield and Aduriz’s strong areal ability, Bilbao could pose a serious threat to Real’s backline.
Cristiano Ronaldo vs Aymeric Laporte
Cristiano Ronaldo is just two goals short of breaking Raul’s club record of 323 goals and one goal short of a personal milestone of 500 career goals.
The former Manchester United winger has already scored eight goals this season and will be looking to add to that tally on Wednesday. Ronaldo has an excellent scoring record against Athletic with 14 goals in 12 games.
Bilbao’s supremely talented young defender Aymeric Laporte faces the daunting task of containing Ronaldo over the course of the game, whilst also keeping an eye out for Karim Benzema who will be looking to make those runs behind the backline. The Frenchman has a reputation of rising to the occasion, evident from his performance against Barcelona in the Spanish Super cup.
Prediction
Athletic Bilbao 1-3 Real Madrid
Despite playing away from home, Real Madrid will definitely fancy themselves going into this game at the back of a stunning start to the new campaign. Madrid are yet to concede a goal this season and with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in fine goal scoring form, the odds are in their favour to come out victorious. Bilbao’s stuttering start to the season has seen them languishing at 13th on the table and the prospect of going up against an attack as prolific as Real’s would not be the most comforting.
But if there is any consolation, Ronaldo is yet to score in the new San Mames stadium.
Betting Odds (bet365)
Athletic Bilbao – 4
Real Madrid – 13/20
Draw – 16/5
