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Athletic Bilbao will hope to keep their European hopes alive when they take on Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on Saturday.
The visitors, currently on a three-game winless run, will set their sights on their biggest win of the season.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, will look to close out their disappointing La Liga campaign with a victory.
Read our Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao prediction, preview and betting tips below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao key stats
- Real Madrid led at HT in five of their last seven matches.
- Seven of the last eight H2Hs produced at least 11 corners.
- Fewer than three goals were scored in each of Real Madrid's last five games.
Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao preview: Los Blancos’ dominance to continue?
Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao — Tale of the Tape
| Real Madrid | vs | Athletic Bilbao |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd | Position | 12th |
| 83 | Points | 45 |
| 73 | Goals For | 41 |
| 33 | Goals Against | 54 |
| 14 | Clean Sheets | 6 |
| 3rd | Home / Away Rank | 16th |
Real Madrid's 1-0 victory over Sevilla last weekend was their third in four games. The hosts have had an abysmal campaign by their own standards. Despite earning a top-two finish, they are 11 points behind arch-rivals Barcelona.
Los Blancos have a long list of absences ahead of their last match of the season. Rodrygo Goes (ACL), Ferland Mendy (ligament), Eder Militao (thigh), Federico Valverde (head), Arda Guler (thigh), and Dani Ceballos (thigh) are unavailable, while second-choice goalkeeper Andriy Lunin is out due to a virus.
On the other hand, Athletic Bilbao are coming off a 1-1 draw with Celta Vigo. The visitors' recent run of results on the road does not inspire much confidence, as they have lost five of their last six away games across all competitions.
Although the Basque side are 12th in La Liga, it is mathematically possible for them to earn a UEFA Conference League spot at the end of the season.
For that to happen, Athletic Club would not only need to win this match, but they would also require a Rayo Vallecano defeat, a Getafe defeat, a Valencia draw or defeat, and an Espanyol draw or defeat.
Even if these scenarios were to play out somehow, the visitors would still need Rayo Vallecano to win the UEFA Conference League final, so Spain's Conference League spot would trickle down to eighth place.
On that note, Athletic Bilbao have not won a La Liga game at this stadium since February 2005, so a victory here is easier said than done.
Long-term absentees Benat Prados and Unai Eguiluz are both still sidelined with cruciate ligament injuries. Daniel Vivian (ankle), Oihan Sancet (hamstring), and Nico Williams (hamstring) are all ruled out for the season, with the latter being a major doubt to appear in Spain's squad for next month's FIFA World Cup.
Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao form guide & betting tips
| Real Madrid | vs | Athletic Bilbao |
|---|---|---|
D
W
L
W
W
|
Form |
L
W
L
L
D
|
| 10 | Points | 4 |
| 3rd | Form Table | 14th |
| 6 | Goals For | 7 |
| 3 | Goals Against | 9 |
D
W
L
W
W
|
Form (All Comps) |
L
W
L
L
D
|
Whispers Predicts: Real Madrid 2-0 Athletic Bilbao
At 1.50, Real Madrid are considered favourites by the bookmakers.
Having won four of the last five skirmishes bet these outfits, we are confident that Los Blancos will emerge victorious at the end of this clash.
Interestingly, four of Real Madrid's last six victories over Athletic Bilbao were by the same 2-0 scoreline, and considering two of the hosts' last three victories had a similar result, we fancy a 2-0 correct score at 8.50.
Also, a Real Madrid to win-to-nil bet at 2.75 could be worth a punt. This combination landed in four of the last five H2Hs.
> Under 2.5 total goals at 2.60 | Likelihood: Possible
> BTTS – No at 2.20 | Likelihood: Probable
> Match result: Real Madrid at 1.50 | Likelihood: Probable
> Real Madrid & BTTS – No at 2.75 | Likelihood: Possible
> Correct Score: 2-0 at 8.50 | Likelihood: Outsider