Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the La Liga match.
Athletic Bilbao, after their 2:0 victory over Levante, will want to continue climbing the standings, while Real Madrid, after a 1:1 draw with Girona, have lost the lead and now have to chase Barcelona.
Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Bilbao have been inconsistent: they are eighth in La Liga with a negative goal difference (14:17). After three defeats in four La Liga matches, including a 0:4 loss to Barcelona, they beat Levante, but still allowed their opponents to create 1.30 xG and enjoy 54% possession. At home, Athletic Bilbao have won four of seven league matches, but all those opponents came from the bottom half of the standings. Real Madrid will be their first serious test at San Mamés.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid, after their triumph in El Clásico, seemed to have secured a comfortable advantage, but they relaxed: 0:0 with Rayo Vallecano, 2:2 with Elche and 1:1 with Girona, and now Barcelona are ahead of them. Xabi Alonso is angry, Vinícius Júnior is pushing for a new contract, Kylian Mbappé is playing largely on his own – these mini-dramas within the squad are taking their toll, and the attack is misfiring. Even their Champions League victory was unconvincing – they conceded three goals against Olympiacos Piraeus (4:3), and without Kylian Mbappé they would not have taken all three points. However, away from home Real Madrid have lost only twice in 11 matches this season and are unlikely to surrender points easily to Athletic Bilbao.
Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid Prediction
We expect Real Madrid to take something from this match, as Athletic Bilbao are not in the best shape. However, they are also not at their best in recent games. We anticipate a tense match in which they avoid defeat, but there should not be many goals.
