Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid: 4 players Los Blancos need to watch out for

Following a cumbersome 1-0 victory over Granada, Spanish giants Real Madrid make a daunting trip to the north to take on Athletic Bilbao in the first set of midweek fixtures for the season. After having been held by the throat at home last weekend, Los Blancos bump into another stumbling block in Los Leones, who are having an erratic season which started off so emphatically when they thrashed Barcelona 4-0 in the Spanish Super Cup.The capital club will nonetheless be wary of their poor record at San Mames recently, having drawn and lost one in their last two visits there. But it is imperative for them this time to snatch a victory as they already trail Barcelona by two points and anything but a win in this game will leave them further behind in the early season standings.However, it won’t be all plain sailing for the visitors as they will have to contain a few players from the Basque outfit, which otherwise, might hamper their chances of getting three points. Here are four such players.

#4 Aymeric Laporte

One of the most tantalizing budding talents in Spain, Aymeric Laporte has carved a niche at a tender age of 21. The France international moved to the Iberian Peninsula at the age of 18 in 2012 and has since earned a reputation.

The Bilbao no.4 has shown sparks of brilliance on numerous occasions in the past and has the potential to develop into one of the finest footballers in his position. He was one of the primary targets during the summer for Manchester United, but Laporte opted to stick to his guns and signed a new contract with the Basque outfit instead.

When Los Blancos surge towards goal, the Pamplona-born ace will be the most rugged and toughest defender they will encounter. The 21-year old has the experience of locking horns with some of the very best in the business and is never afraid of putting his body on the line for his side.

His aerial strengths and good reading of the game will enable him to throw a spanner in Real’s work, and so they need be on their guard while dealing with him.

#3 Mikel San Jose

Athletic Bilbao may not be as glamorous of clubs as their opponents on Wednesday, but boast a raft of talented players within their ranks and one of the brightest ones currently is the dynamic midfielder Mikel San Jose.

The 26-year old former Liverpool man is one of the first and foremost names on manager Ernesto Velverde’s teamsheet and has been playing an integral role in his machinations. He started off the season with a 50-yard ripper against Barcelona in the Super Cup and has an assist to his name in the league in two appearances thus far.

A precocious talent with seamless abilities, the Spaniard is adept at knitting passes with an unerring accuracy and is vital in breaking up play. His aid and assistance to Aduriz and Sola will be key in racking up goals, whereas on the defensive front he will be willing to shut the supply lines for Luka Modric and Isco.

#2 Raul Garcia

Real Madrid will meet an old enemy in the Bilbao team in the midfield as Raul Garcia, formerly of Atletico Madrid, will renew his hostilities with the whites for the season. The Spaniard left the Spanish capital to move to the Basque capital on a transfer request this summer, ending his 7-year association with the Rojiblancos.

Now breathing a new lease of life some 400 km away, the midfielder has taken to the new surroundings with relative ease and has already accrued a strike with Bilbao. He will probably be thrust back into the lineup for this clash after coming on from the bench against Villarreal on Sunday.

Garcia has savoured being a sadist of sorts towards Real Madrid, having inflicted damage on them on numerous occasions in the past. Now in Bilbao colours, his objective still remains the same – to hurt the men in white from Madrid. And he could do so with his aggressive nature on and off the ball, aerial prowess, penalty-box presence and crucial challenges.

The two-time Spanish international has been one of the most creative midfielders in La Liga in recent times, and the visitors will certainly have to keep a close watch on him.

#1 Aritz Aduriz

Well, who else from the Bilbao roster possesses the kind of threat that this veteran Spaniard does? Aritz Aduriz has been on a roll this season, scoring goals left, right and centre and was also the destoryer-in-chief when he netted a hat-trick against the mighty Catalans to clinch their first piece of silverware in 31 years. So quite naturally, Aduriz is the one Real Madrid need to be most wary of.

The 34-year old has nine goals in his bag in 10 appearances this season and he will relish the prospect of adding another one against another mighty opposition in Los Blancos – the side he downed back in March with a lone strike in a 1-0 victory.

Aduriz continues to defy age and perform at an optimal level week in and week out. His speed and a perpetual eye for goal makes him an unstoppable force going forward, whereas his imperial aerial prowess is another startling feature of his.

Against a Meringues backline that are yet to concede this season, the former Valencia and Mallorca marksman will once again be the key in hitting the onion bag for the San Mames outfit and hopefully pull off yet another shocker.