Real Madrid return to La Liga action on Sunday night, looking to bounce back after crashing out of the Champions League. They were soundly beaten by Arsenal, losing 2-1 in the second leg and 5-1 on aggregate — a result that’s piled pressure on manager Carlo Ancelotti, with rumors swirling about his future at the club.
Despite their European disappointment, Madrid are still in the hunt for domestic silverware. They’ll face Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final on April 26 and remain in the thick of the La Liga title race. They sit second in the table, four points behind Barça — a gap that could grow to seven if the leaders beat Celta Vigo on Saturday. A win on Sunday is crucial if Real want to stay in touch.
Last weekend, they narrowly beat Alaves 1-0 in the league, but overall, their form has dipped — just one win in their last five across all competitions. And they’re up against an Athletic Bilbao side that’s been one of the league’s best this season.
Madrid did beat Athletic 2-0 in this same fixture last season, but they lost the reverse match 2-1 in Bilbao back in December.
Athletic are riding high after booking their place in the Europa League semi-finals with a 2-0 win over Rangers on Thursday night. That result sealed a 2-0 aggregate victory and set up a blockbuster semi-final against Manchester United, with the first leg at San Mames on May 1.
They’re also in great shape in La Liga. With 15 wins, 12 draws, and just four losses from 31 matches, they’re sitting fourth in the table on 57 points. That puts them six ahead of Villarreal in fifth (who have a game in hand) and nine clear of sixth-placed Real Betis.
With La Liga securing five Champions League spots for next season, Athletic are in a strong position to bring Champions League football back to San Mames for the 2025–26 season.
They head into Sunday’s clash aiming for a third straight win in all competitions, having beaten Rayo Vallecano 3-1 in the league before their European triumph over Rangers.
Real Madrid can’t afford another slip-up if they want to keep their title hopes alive, but they’re up against an in-form, confident Athletic side with plenty to play for themselves. Expect a high-stakes battle at the Bernabéu.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Real Madrid will have to manage without their top scorer Kylian Mbappé this weekend — the French star is suspended after picking up a red card in the win over Alavés.
There is some good news though: Eduardo Camavinga is available again after missing the Arsenal game due to suspension. Ferland Mendy and goalkeeper Andriy Lunin have slim chances of making the squad, but Eder Militão and Dani Carvajal are still sidelined with knee injuries.
In Mbappé’s absence, Rodrygo is expected to lead the line through the middle, while Brahim Díaz could come into the starting XI out on the right wing. Fran García might also get the nod at left-back.
Federico Valverde could be asked to drop into the right-back role to help contain the dangerous Nico Williams, while Antonio Rüdiger — who’s been managing some muscle fatigue — is expected to start again in central defense.
For Athletic, Iñaki Williams didn’t feature against Rangers due to an adductor issue and is unlikely to start on Sunday, though he could still make an appearance off the bench.
Yuri Berchiche also missed that match with a muscle injury and remains a major doubt for the trip to Madrid. On the plus side, there were no new injuries in Thursday’s Europa League win.
Benat Prados and Gorka Guruzeta are both expected to return to the starting lineup for this one, along with key names like Unai Simón, Aitor Paredes, and Andoni Gorosabel.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:
Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Rudiger, F Garcia; Camavinga, Bellingham, Tchouameni; Brahim, Rodrygo, Vinicius
Athletic Bilbao possible starting lineup:
Simon; Gorosabel, Vivian, Paredes, Lekue; Jauregizar, Prados; Berenguer, Sancet, N Williams; Guruzeta
EXPERT PREDICTION
Real Madrid 2-2 Athletic Bilbao
