Match Pack: Real Madrid vs Athletic Club (LaLiga MD9)

Athletic Club return to LaLiga action on Wednesday night (21:00 CET) with a trip to the Santiago Bernabéu against Real Madrid for their postponed Matchday 9 fixture.

Los Leones sit in eighth place in the LaLiga Santander table and a good result would help keep the pressure on their rivals for European qualification. At the moment, Athletic are four points behind sixth-placed Rayo Vallecano.

Match Info
Real Madrid (Matchday 9)

Estadio Santiago Bernabeu (Madrid)

LaLiga Santander 2021/22

Wednesday December 1, 21:00 CET

How to Watch

Wherever you are in the world make sure you don’t miss the big match with our list of global kick-off times and official LaLiga TV broadcasters!

Team News

Marcelino has named a 22-man squad for the match in Madrid. Goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala and defender Aitor Paredes are back with senior side. The centre-back has been called up as cover for the suspended Iñigo Martínez.

Asier Villalibre, Yuri Berchiche, Dani Vivian and Peru Nolaskoain remain on the sidelines due to their respective injury issues.

Marcelino’s Comments

Marcelino reiterated that Athletic are proving to be a “competitive team” which is very “difficult to beat”, while stressing the Lions have what it takes to give Real Madrid a tough night on Wednesday.

Read up on the rest of the manager’s pre-match press conference.

The Opponents

League position: 1st

Form over last five LaLiga matches: DWWWW

Last match: 2-1 vs Sevilla FC (H)

Head coach: Carlo Ancelotti

The Italian coach is in his second spell at Real Madrid, having also led the side in the 2013/14 and 2014/15 seasons. Ancelotti is one of the most successful football managers of the modern era having won three Champions Leagues (two with AC Milan: 2002/03 & 2006/07, plus one with Real Madrid: 2013/14), four First Division titles in four countries (AC Milan: 2003/04, Chelsea: 2009/10, Paris Saint-Germain: 2012/13, Bayern Munich: 2016/17) and three domestic cup competitions in three countries (AC Milan: 2002/03, Chelsea: 2009/10 and Real Madrid: 2013/14).

Star man: Karim Benzema

The 33-year-old striker joined Real Madrid from Olympique Lyon in July 2009. Benzema has gone on to score a total of 295 goals in 577 appearances for Los Blancos, 203 of those strikes coming in his 396 LaLiga matches.

Like his manager, the Frenchman’s trophy cabinet is chock full. With Lyon he achieved four Ligue 1 titles and a Coupe de France, while at Real Madrid he was won four Champions Leagues, four LaLiga titles and two Copas del Rey.

Karim is off to a blistering start in LaLiga 2021/22, having found the back of the net 11 times in his first 13 matches.

Previous Meetings

One of the most iconic fixtures in LaLiga, Real Madrid and Athletic Club -two of the top-flight competition’s three ever-present sides along with Barcelona- have faced each other a total of 180 times in the Primera Division.

Ninety of those fixtures have been played in Madrid. Traditionally, Athletic have struggled on their trips to the Spanish capital, with a record of 13 wins, 17 draws and 60 losses. The Lions’ last win at the Santiago Bernabeu came in the 2004/05 season, Asier del Horno and Andoni Iraola getting on the scoresheet as the side registered a famous 0-2 win.

However, Athletic’s most recent victory over Real Madrid was last season. Two goals from Raúl García saw the Lions beat Los Blancos 1-2 in the semi-finals of 2021 Supercopa.