Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao Match Analysis & Prediction
04/06/2023 7:30 pm
Real Madrid will be looking to secure second position in the La Liga standings when they host top-seven hopefuls Athletic Bilbao at Bernabeu on Sunday.
Los Blancos are currently second in the table, one point ahead of third-placed Atletico Madrid, while Athletic sit eighth, level on points with seventh-placed Osasuna.
Real Madrid have fallen short in La Liga, with the gap to the champions Barcelona currently 11 points, and Los Blancos instead find themselves in a battle with Atletico for second.
A win for Real Madrid in this fixture would see them claim the spot behind Barca, but they could lose and still finish as the runners-up if Atletico fail to beat Villarreal, with a draw not being enough for Diego Simeone’s side due to their inferior head-to-head record against their capital rivals.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side will enter this contest off the back of a 2-1 victory over Sevilla, and they have been strong at home in the league this season, picking up 43 points from 18 matches, losing just once.
Los Blancos’ away form has ultimately cost them the chance to be in a title race, having suffered seven defeats on their travels, which is something that Ancelotti will need to address for next season.
Athletic have their own reasons for wanting to pick up a positive result on the final weekend of the season, as they are in the running to finish seventh, which would mean qualification for the playoff round of the 2023-24 Europa Conference League.
The Lions position is slightly surprising considering that they have lost five of their last seven league matches, recording just one victory in the process.
The Red and Whites will enter this contest off the back of successive defeats to Osasuna and Elche, but they are eighth in the table, level on points with seventh-placed Osasuna, who have a superior head-to-head record over the Basque outfit.
Girona, Rayo Vallecano and Sevilla are also involved in the race for seventh, and it is likely that Athletic will need to win against Real Madrid to stand a chance of claiming the European spot.
Ernesto Valverde’s side have lost their last six league matches against Real Madrid, while they have not beaten Los Blancos in the league since March 2015, which is an indication of the magnitude of their task on Sunday.
Real Madrid vs. Athletic Bilbao Head to head
In the 64 previous meetings between these two teams across all competitions, Real Madrid have claimed 41 victories while Athletic have won 13, and they have drawn in 10. Athletic have scored 55 goals and conceded 134 in the process.
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01/12/2021Real Madrid1Athletic Bilbao0La Liga
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22/12/2021Athletic Bilbao1Real Madrid2La Liga
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16/01/2022Athletic Bilbao0Real Madrid2Super Cup
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03/02/2022Athletic Bilbao1Real Madrid0Copa del Rey
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22/01/2023Athletic Bilbao0Real Madrid2La Liga
Real Madrid Team News
Vinicius Junior has recovered from a knee issue and should start for Real Madrid, but Mariano Diaz and Marco Asensio, who are both set to leave the club this summer, remain major doubts with muscular issues.
Ancelotti is expected to make a number of changes from the side that started against Sevilla, with Dani Carvajal available again following a suspension, while Eduardo Camavinga and Antonio Rudiger could also feature from the start.
Real Madrid's Last 5 Matches
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13/05/2023Real Madrid1Getafe0La Liga
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17/05/2023Manchester City4Real Madrid0Champions League
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21/05/2023Valencia1Real Madrid0La Liga
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24/05/2023Real Madrid2Rayo Vallecano1La Liga
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27/05/2023Sevilla1Real Madrid2La Liga
Athletic Bilbao Team News
Athletic’s Ander Herrera, Dani Garcia, Inigo Martinez, Jon Morcillo and Yeray Alvarez were all missing against Elche through injury, and that is again expected to be the case this weekend.
The team should be boosted by the return of Nico Williams, who was absent last time out through illness, with the Spaniard set to replace Gorka Guruzeta in the side.
Athletic Bilbao's Last 5 Matches
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04/05/2023Athletic Bilbao0Real Betis1La Liga
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13/05/2023Villarreal5Athletic Bilbao1La Liga
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20/05/2023Athletic Bilbao2Celta Vigo1La Liga
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25/05/2023Osasuna2Athletic Bilbao0La Liga
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28/05/2023Athletic Bilbao0Elche1La Liga
Real Madrid vs. Athletic Bilbao: Odds and Predictions
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