{"id":419800,"date":"2025-12-02T15:49:14","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T15:49:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/419800\/"},"modified":"2025-12-02T15:49:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T15:49:14","slug":"athletic-bilbao-vs-real-madrid-la-liga-preview-team-news-start-lineups-football-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/419800\/","title":{"rendered":"Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid La Liga preview \u2013 team news, start, lineups | Football News"},"content":{"rendered":"

Who:<\/strong> Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid
What:<\/strong>\u00a0Spain\u2019s La Liga
Where: <\/strong>The San Mames Stadium, Bilbao, Spain
When:<\/strong> Wednesday at 7pm (18:00 GMT)
How to follow:\u00a0<\/strong>We\u2019ll have all the build-up on\u00a0Al Jazeera Sport<\/a> from 15:00 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.<\/p>\n

Real Madrid are looking to get their title charge back on track against Athletic Bilbao after a series of draws enabled rivals Barcelona to gain pole position<\/a> in La Liga.<\/p>\n

Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list<\/p>\n

Madrid were held to a third consecutive La Liga draw at lowly Girona on Sunday, where they were forced to fight back from a goal down.<\/p>\n

Athletic Bilbao, who are eighth in the division with 20 points from their opening 14 games, sealed a 2-0 win at Levante on Saturday with goals from Robert Navarro and Nico Williams.<\/p>\n

Pressures grows on Real Madrid manager Alonso<\/p>\n

The draw with Girona increases the pressure on Real coach Xabi Alonso, with recent rumours suggesting his future is in doubt in the Madrid dugout.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are up there, it\u2019s all very even, it\u2019s a long season and we have to continue,\u201d Alonso told reporters after the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cI liked the reaction from the players. It was not enough to turn it around, but we were close, and we have to continue with the unity we have, being self-critical enough, and wanting to win away from home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Madrid travel to Bilbao on Wednesday for a fourth consecutive league match on the road, a game moved because of the club\u2019s participation in the Spanish Super Cup in January.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe table will be hard-fought, there will be lots of movement,\u201d Alonso added.<\/p>\n

\"RealMadrid coach Xabi Alonso took over from Carlo Ancelotti in the summer [Angelos Tzortzinis\/AFP]\u2018We need to change this dynamic\u2019<\/p>\n

Madrid\u2019s superstar striker Kylian Mbappe had a goal ruled out for handball moments before Morocco international Azzedine Ounahi fired Girona ahead on Sunday, rifling home from just inside the area to stun the illustrious visitors.<\/p>\n

Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois then made a stunning save to tip away Vladyslav Vanat\u2019s drive across goal before Los Blancos fought back.<\/p>\n

After having a goal disallowed for offside, Vinicius Jr was clumsily felled in the box by Hugo Rincon.<\/p>\n

Mbappe smashed the resulting penalty into the bottom left corner past Paulo Gazzaniga\u2019s dive for his 14th La Liga goal of the campaign.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbsolutely not the result we wanted, but the league is still on and very long,\u201d Mbappe wrote on social media. \u201cWe need to change this dynamic and show who we are as a team.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TOPSHOTKylian Mbappe of Real Madrid celebrates scoring the equaliser against Girona [Josep Lago\/AFP]Bilbao get morale boost with win over Levante<\/p>\n

Manager Ernesto Valverde admitted that Athletic\u2019s win over Levante gave his side a much-needed morale boost after a number of depressing defeats in recent weeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis match was very important for us in many ways, both from a morale standpoint, and above all, to get our confidence after some less than positive results,\u201d Valverde said following the match.<\/p>\n

Valverde, however, cautioned that \u201cnow we have a difficult and very exciting week ahead of us with tough opponents coming to San Mames\u201d, adding that \u201cwe have to take each game as it comes and fight for the win\u201d.<\/p>\n

Williams says club and city \u2018mean everything to me\u2019 amid transfer rumours<\/p>\n

The Athletic winger spoke in an interview with GQ Hype about his deep attachment to his boyhood club and the city of Bilbao, after being again linked with a move to Barcelona despite him extending his contract<\/a> until 2035.<\/p>\n

\u201cAthletic and Bilbao mean everything to me \u2026 I\u2019ve grown here as a person and as a player,\u201d Nico Williams said.<\/p>\n

\u201cRepresenting this club and this city has made me understand the value of hard work, humility, and family. We all know that Athletic is unique in the world, as the motto says.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cHere in Bilbao, I have my family and loved ones with whom I make every decision. Playing alongside my brother in the Champions League is a dream come true.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"VALENCIA,Athletic\u2019s Nico Williams, left, in action with Jeremy Toljan of Levante [Mateo Villalba Sanchez\/Getty Images]Head-to-head<\/p>\n

The two clubs have faced each other on 248 occasions, with Real Madrid winning 124, Athletic Club winning 79, and 45 games ending as draws.<\/p>\n

Athletic won their most recent meeting with Los Blancos at home 2-1 with Alex Berenguer and Gorka Guruzeta scoring.<\/p>\n

That was Athletic\u2019s first La Liga win over Real Madrid since a 1-0 win in March 2015 as Los Blancos have usually dominated recent fixtures.<\/p>\n

Athletic Bilbao\u2019s team news<\/p>\n

Athletic will be boosted by the return of midfielder Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta from suspension, although Oihan Sancet remains suspended.<\/p>\n

Benat Prados, Unai Egiluz, Maroan Sannadi and Robert Navarro have all been ruled out with injuries, and Inaki Williams remains a major doubt after missing Athletic\u2019s last seven games with a groin issue.<\/p>\n

Defender Aymeric Laporte missed the Levante game through illness, but is expected to return against Madrid.<\/p>\n

Athletic Bilbao\u2019s predicted starting XI<\/p>\n

Simon; Gorosabel, Laporte, Vivian, Berchiche; Ruiz de Galarreta, Jauregizar; Berenguer, Sanchez, Nico Williams; Gomez<\/p>\n

Real Madrid\u2019s team news<\/p>\n

Madrid\u2019s injury issues are centred around the defence at the moment.<\/p>\n

Centre-back Dean Huijsen is a major doubt after missing the last two games with a muscular problem, while David Alaba is also unlikely to feature as he recovers from his own muscular injury.<\/p>\n

Dani Carvajal will be sidelined until 2026 after undergoing an operation on a knee problem.<\/p>\n

But while centre-back Raul Asencio missed the game against Girona due to illness, he is expected to recover in time for the Bilbao game.<\/p>\n

Real Madrid\u2019s predicted starting XI<\/p>\n

Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Militao, Rudiger, Carreras; Camavinga, Valverde, Tchouameni; Bellingham; Mbappe, Vinicius Jr<\/p>\n

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