Match Pack: Real Madrid vs Athletic Club (LaLiga MD30)
Match Pack: Real Madrid vs Athletic Club (LaLiga MD30)
Los Leones will go for the win against LaLiga's leaders before turning their attention to the Copa final
Fourth-placed Athletic Club return to LaLiga action with a visit to the Santiago Bernabéu where they will take on league leaders Real Madrid.
It will be the Lions' final game before Copa final on April 6. In order to arrive to Seville in the best shape possible, and keep their league form going, Athletic will be looking to pull off a surprise in Madrid.
Match Info
Real Madrid vs Athletic Club
San Mames, Bilbao
LaLiga EA Sports 23/24 (Matchday 30)
Sunday March 31, 21:00 CEST
How to Watch
A global TV guide with worldwide kick-off times and LaLiga broadcasters
Team News
Valverde named a 23-man squad for the clash.
Nico Williams, out with a hamstring issue, is the only major absentee.
Valverde's Comments
Catch up with what he had to say at his press conference.
⚔️ "We have a final next week, but tomorrow is an important match too. We have a lot at stake in @LaLigaEN"
— Athletic Club (@Athletic_en) March 30, 2024
🗣️ Ernesto Valverde on #RealMadridAthletic#AthleticClub 🦁 pic.twitter.com/7UGilJYet9
The Opponents
Head coach: Carlo Ancelotti
One of the most successful managers in the history of football, Ancelotti is the only tactician to have won the title in all of Europe's top five leagues.
The Italian left Everton to come back for Real Madrid for a second spell in 2021. In addition to the Champions League and Copa del Rey in his first spell, he has also added one LaLiga, one Copa and one Champions League to his medal drawer since returning.
Top goalscorer: Jude Bellingham
With 16 goals in 22 LaLiga appearances, the English midfielder is currently LaLiga's joint top goalscorer with Osasuna's Ante Budimir.
Recent form: DWDWW
Los Blancos currently sit top of LaLiga with 72 points, eight clear of Barça in the second. Madrid's only loss this season came in against Atlético Madrid at the Metropolitano in September.
Previous Meetings
A LaLiga classic in every sense, this is a fixture which has taken place in every single top-flight season since the inaugural campaign in 1929.
In total Los Leones and Los Blancos have faced each other 185 times in LaLiga, with Athletic recording 51 wins, 37 draws and 97 losses.
Los Rojiblancos have often struggled on their visits to Madrid. From 92 matches, they've managed 13 wins, 18 draws and 61 losses. Our most recent league victory at the Santiago Bernabéu was a 0-2 win in 2004/05.
On our last five trips to the Bernabéu, Athletic have come away with two draws and three defeats.
The Zurigorri pushed Real Madrid all the way in the final game of last season. Oihan Sancet had Athletic 0-1 up early in the second half, but a soft penalty call saw Karim Benzema equalise from the spot, with the match finishing 1-1.