Athletic Bilbao take on the visitors Real Madrid in the re-scheduled round 19 match of Spanish LaLiga. The match will be played on Wednesday, December 3rd at Estadio San Mamés (Bilbao).
Athletic are a historic giant of Spanish football, yet at the same time a team restricted by the nuances of their local recruitment policy. Because of this, Valverde receives unconditional trust, having already worked successfully at the club in the past, and this tenure has been particularly impressive. In 2024, exactly on the 40th anniversary of their previous cup triumph, they lifted the trophy again. After that, the club reached the Europa League semifinals and finished fourth in La Liga. Over the summer they managed to keep Nico Williams and opened the season confidently with August victories — but autumn has undone much of that early momentum. There were especially many defeats in the Champions League, and even Slavia Prague managed to take points by finishing 0–0. By late November, they had nearly as many league defeats as wins. But at least after the heavy loss to Barcelona, they beat Levante 2–0. Their inconsistency across competitions has made it difficult for them to build rhythm, often alternating between promising performances and unexpected setbacks. Despite this volatility, Athletic still show phases of controlled football that hint they may regain stability as the season progresses.
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Real Madrid cannot function without trophies, and their absence was not forgiven even to Ancelotti despite all his past achievements. After defeats to Arsenal in the Champions League and Barcelona domestically, the club decided to part ways with Carlo at the end of spring so that the team could attend the Club World Cup already under Xabi Alonso. Alonso lost his first tournament to PSG, but began the regular season strongly, despite the setback of a 2–5 derby defeat to Atlético — though a solid win in El Clásico restored confidence. Their first real problems arrived only in November, when they deservedly lost to Liverpool and failed to score against Rayo Vallecano. After the international break, they drew with both Elche and Girona, results that cost them the top spot in the league table. In the Champions League they at least beat Olympiacos, though also by just a one-goal margin. Real’s recent tendency to drop points in matches they traditionally control suggests that their dominance is not as assured as in previous seasons. Even so, their ability to respond after disappointing results keeps them firmly within reach of the top positions.
Los Galácticos have won three of the last four El Clásico meetings between these sides, with the only defeat coming on their most recent visit to San Mamés. Los Blancos remain the favorites. But given their current form and the significance of the matchup, the option “both teams to score” looks workable.
Prediction for the match: Both teams to score – yes.
