Real Madrid vs Athletic Club: Three key battles to keep an eye on | OneFootball

Real Madrid are not going to be in the best of spirits as they return to La Liga action tonight when they host Athletic Club at the Santiago Bernabeu.

This stadium was the venue of yet another forgettable night for the Merengues, as the Premier League side Arsenal beat them in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final to eliminate them with a 5-1 scoreline on aggregate.

However, Los Blancos do not have a lot of time to grieve, as they cannot afford to drop any more points in La Liga to ensure they remain in the title race, especially as Barcelona got a 4-3 win over Celta Vigo last night.

Still, Athletic Club are in great form coming into this game, and both teams have the players to turn the match in their side’s favor tonight.

In such a scenario, the following three key battles will be particularly interesting and can prove to be decisive for either side:

Vinicius Junior vs Andoni Gorosabel

Kylian Mbappe will be unable to play in this game because of suspension and injury, and Rodrygo Goes is also not enjoying the best of form. As a result, Vinicius Junior will be leading the Real Madrid forward line in this match, after having been the only player to get on the scoresheet for his side in the two legs against Arsenal.

The Brazilian will be keen to showcase that he can still be the difference-maker for Carlo Ancelotti’s team in the absence of these two attacking stars. He has 11 goals and 5 assists to his name in La Liga so far, and will hopefully add to these numbers tonight.

Facing him on the flank will be the experienced fullback Andoni Gorosabel, who is the regular starter for Ernesto Valverde on the right flank. Sofascore statistics show that he is making 3.1 ball recoveries, 1.9 tackles, and 0.8 interceptions on average every game, and it will not be easy for Vinicius to get the best of him.

Inaki Williams vs Fran Garcia

Inaki Williams will once again be the biggest attacking threat for Athletic Club in this game, as the Spaniard will be looking to ensure his team continues winning after the games against Rayo Vallecano and Rangers. He has 5 goals and 8 assists to his name so far in 30 La Liga appearances, and will be keen to add to this number with more goal contributions tonight.

Luckily for him, the best defensive left-back for Real Madrid, Ferland Mendy, remains unavailable due to an injury, and Ancelotti will probably field Fran Garcia in his stead on the flank.

The Spanish defender is more comfortable going forward than when he is defending, but still, he can hold his own against most wingers. However, Williams can prove to be a stern test for him in this game, and the winner of this battle can ultimately go on to have a huge impact on the result of the match.

Oihan Sancet vs Eduardo Camavinga

Despite playing as an attacking midfielder, Oihan Sancet has scored 15 goals for the Basque side in La Liga this season, and is his team’s top goalscorer in the competition. Tonight, he will once again look to add another goal to his tally to help his team remain at least in contention for a third-place finish in the league.

Opposing him in the midfield will be the French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, who did not play in the last game against Arsenal due to suspension, and will thus be quite fresh for tonight’s game.

The Frenchman’s defending skills are no secret to anyone. Sofascore statistics show that this season in La Liga, he is averaging 2.3 tackles, 0.9 interceptions, 1.1 clearances, and 4.6 ball recoveries per game. However, Ancelotti will be hoping he does not make one of his frequent errors that can put his team in a tight spot.

These three key battles can turn out to be decisive for this game, as both Real Madrid and Athletic Club look to end their La Liga campaigns on a high note.