Athletic Club vs Real Madrid preview, H2H, team news, line-ups and prediction

Athletic Club and Real Madrid will clash in the 245th El Viejo Clásico at the Estadio San Mamés on Wednesday night in Laliga.  

Following their impressive fifth-place finish last season, Athletic are now aiming to return to Champions League football for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign. Their strong performances across 15 league games this season have firmly established their top-four credentials.

Currently sitting fourth in the league table with 26 points, they are level with Villarreal, who hold a game in hand. Under Ernesto Valverde’s expert management, Athletic have become a formidable side, especially at their San Mamés stronghold.

Athletic are harbouring dreams of UEFA Europa League glory this season, with the final set to take place at their iconic San Mamés home stadium. This ambition follows their historic triumph in the Copa del Rey last season, which ended a 41-year wait for a major trophy.

Valverde’s side enters this phase in fine form, recently earning a 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano at Vallecas. The game was decided by a brilliant brace from the ever-improving Oihan Sancet, whose performance secured Athletic their third straight win. This result also extended their unbeaten streak to nine matches across all competitions, a run dating back to their 2-1 defeat to Girona on October 6.

Following their triumphant visit to Vallecas, the Basque club now returns to San Mamés, where they have enjoyed an impressive record, winning six and drawing two of their last eight competitive fixtures.

Despite their strong form at home, Athletic have not defeated Madrid in a league match at San Mamés since a 1-0 victory in March 2015, with Aritz Aduriz scoring the decisive goal. That game saw Valverde in his second stint as Athletic boss, while Carlo Ancelotti was in his first spell managing Los Blancos.

Meanwhile, Madrid will look to recover from the disappointment of last week’s 2-0 Champions League defeat to Liverpool. That loss marked their third in four European games and has left them languishing in 24th place in the league phase.

While their Champions League campaign has faltered, Madrid have been gaining momentum in La Liga, securing three consecutive victories without conceding. This run has allowed them to capitalise on Barcelona’s recent winless run of results, which includes one draw and three losses in their last three games.

In Sunday’s clash with Getafe, Jude Bellingham confidently converted a 30th-minute penalty before Kylian Mbappé doubled the advantage during a commanding first-half display at the Santiago Bernabéu. Defensively, Los Blancos remained resolute, earning their seventh league clean sheet of the season and ending the weekend just one point behind Barcelona with a game in hand.

Los Blancos’ quest to defend their La Liga crown continues with a challenging midweek encounter against Athletic. The defending champions will aim to extend their remarkable unbeaten away run in the league to 22 matches, a streak that began after their September 2023 loss to Atletico Madrid.

Although Madrid face a formidable opponent at San Mamés, they can draw confidence from their recent dominance in this fixture. Los Blancos have triumphed in their last five visits to Athletic’s home, including a 2-0 win in last season’s showdown.

Athletic Club vs. Real Madrid match details

• Date: Wednesday, December 4, 2024
• Location: Bilbao, Spain
• Venue: Estadio San Mamés
• Kick-off time: 08:00 PM GMT, 09:00 PM UTC, 03:00 PM ET, 12:00 PM PT
• Referee: José María Sánchez Martínez
• Tickets: Fans can buy Athletic Club and Real Madrid tickets from the clubs or via a trusted reseller like Seatsnet.

Match stats and head-to-head 

• These two sides have squared off 244 times in competitive matches. Madrid hold the superior advantage with 123 wins, while Athletic have 76 wins, and 45 games have ended in draws.

• The Zuri-Gorriak are winless in nine of their last ten matches at Estadio San Mamés against Madrid.

•Carlo Ancelotti’s side has only lost two of their last 20 away matches.

• The 4-0 loss to Barcelona in October is Madrid’s only loss in 33 Laliga matches.

• Athletic have scored in 15 of their last 16 matches. The only time they failed to hit the net in that run was in the 0-0 draw against Mallorca in October.

• Ernesto Valverde’s side are unbeaten in their last eight matches at home across all competitions.

• Madrid are unbeaten in their last 21 Laliga away matches.

• Real Madrid are unbeaten in their last 21 LaLiga away games.

• The last time Madrid lost to Athletic came in the Copa del Rey and Spanish Supercopa in 2015, and they have not lost a game against the Basque club since that time.

• The most common result in this fixture in recent years has been 1-1, with seven matches ending in that scoreline.

Team news

Former Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera will miss the clash against Madrid after Athletic Club confirmed the 35-year-old will be out with a hamstring injury.

Oihan Sancet is expected to start despite a minor ankle concern. The midfielder came off the bench to deliver a match-winning brace in Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano last weekend.

Beñat Prados is also expected to reclaim his spot in the starting lineup after serving a one-match suspension. Additionally, Óscar de Marcos and Dani Vivian are contenders for recalls to the starting lineup.

Ernesto Valverde faces a crucial decision in goal, choosing between Julen Agirrezabala, who has impressed recently, and Unai Simón, the Euro 2024 winner who has returned after a prolonged absence.

Madrid continue to cope without Eduardo Camavinga and Vinícius Júnior, both sidelined with muscle injuries. Dani Carvajal and Éder Militão remain unavailable for the season due to anterior cruciate ligament injuries, while David Alaba is unlikely to return until early 2025 after his long-term setback.

On a positive note, Los Blancos are optimistic about Aurélien Tchouaméni’s potential return to the matchday squad following his recovery from a recent injury.

Jude Bellingham is anticipated to be fit for Wednesday’s away clash, despite being substituted at halftime during Sunday’s victory over Getafe due to a neck concern.

Carlo Ancelotti may opt for a few changes in the lineup, with Luka Modrić and Arda Güler both vying for starting roles.

The Italian manager is also expected to count on Rodrygo after the Brazilian made a miraculous return to the squad in the win over Getafe last weekend.

Predicted starting lineup 

Athletic Club predicted starting lineup:

Agirrezabala; De Marcos, Vivian, Alvarez, Berchiche; Ruiz de Galarreta, Prados; I. Williams, Sancet, N. Williams; Djalo.

Real Madrid predicted starting lineup:

Courtois; Vazquez, Asencio, Rudiger, Garcia; Modric, Valverde, Bellingham, Guler; Rodrygo, Mbappe.

Prediction

Madrid are just one point behind table leaders, Barcelona, at the time of writing. They have a game in hand, and victory over the Zuri-Gorriak will see them usurp their arch-rivals and potentially change the tides of the title race.

The defending champions are tipped to extend their impressive run of form at Athletic’s ground by recording another victory, but it will be a difficult task against a solid Bilbao side that have not lost in nine games across all competitions.

We’re predicting a 2-1 win for Madrid.