Real Madrid vs Athletic Club – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Real Madrid face Athletic Club in their final game of the season in a matchday 38 clash of the La Liga on Saturday.

Alvaro Arbeloa’s men secured their second place in the table and is currently on 83 points while Athletic Club is in 12th Position with 45 points.

Real Madrid vs Athletic Club – Match preview and team news

Real Madrid team news

Real Madrid enters the final matchday under Álvaro Arbeloa with a heavily depleted squad due to a severe injury crisis.

The hosts are entirely without Rodrygo, who is recovering from a torn ACL, while Éder Militão and Arda Güler are both sidelined for the remainder of the campaign with hamstring injuries.

Left-back Ferland Mendy remains out with a thigh problem, and Dani Ceballos has been excluded from the matchday squad.

Adding to Arbeloa’s selection headaches, star forward Vinícius Júnior is expected to miss out to link up early with the Brazilian national team for the upcoming 2026 World Cup.

Midfield anchor Aurélien Tchouaméni is a doubt after missing recent training sessions due to physical discomfort but is still expected to start.

On a positive note, Federico Valverde is cleared to feature after completing concussion protocols, and goalkeeper Andriy Lunin returns from illness.

Athletic Club team news

Athletic Bilbao travels to the Santiago Bernabéu missing several indispensable components of their spine as they look to secure a strong finish to the season.

Manager Ernesto Valverde will be without star winger Nico Williams, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury, and midfield engine Oihan Sancet, who lacks fitness due to a muscle issue.

Defensively, the Basque club is weakened by the absence of left-back Yuri Berchiche, who is serving a disciplinary suspension.

Long-term knee ligament injuries also keep peripheral squad members Unai Eguiluz and Beñat Prados out of contention.

Valverde faces late fitness decisions on key defender Dani Vivian, who is racing against time to recover from an ankle sprain, and midfielder Unai Gómez, who is battling a minor muscle strain.

Alex Berenguer and Robert Navarro are expected to start and support Gorka Guruzeta up front.

Form

Real Madrid

Real Madrid enters the season finale in stable league form, recovering well from a 2-0 defeat against FC Barcelona. Los Blancos bounced back immediately by securing consecutive victories, defeating Real Oviedo 2-0 at home and grinding out a 1-0 away win over Sevilla FC.

Boasting the division’s second-best home record behind Barça, they remain incredibly tough to beat at the Santiago Bernabéu, where they have lost just twice all season.

Athletic Club

Athletic Bilbao travels to Madrid enduring a rough patch, having won only once in their last five La Liga outings. Following a heavy 3-2 loss to Atlético Madrid and a 4-2 victory over Deportivo Alavés, they suffered back-to-back defeats against Valencia CF and RCD Espanyol. They stopped the bleeding slightly in their most recent match, playing out a 1-1 draw against RC Celta de Vigo.

Predicted lineups

Real Madrid: Courtois; Carvajal, Rudiger, Huijsen, F Garcia; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Brahim, Mbappe, Mastantuono

Athletic Club: Simon; Gorosabel, Alvarez, Laporte, Boiro; Ruiz de Galarreta, Jauregizar; I Williams, Navarro, Berenguer; Guruzeta

How to watch Real Madrid vs Athletic Club?

The Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao match will be broadcast live in the UK on Premier Sports.

Read Also – Maguire ‘shocked and gutted’ after World Cup snub

See More – 📈 Power Rankings: Roma and Aston Villa gatecrash top 10

Follow the Football Faithful on Social Media:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube