La Liga - How to watch Athletic Club vs Real Madrid in over 160 countries

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A tough match will be held at the Nuevo San Mamés when Los Leones host Ancelotti's team in a clash where both are desperate for a win. Follow this game with our guide.

One of the most interesting games in La Liga will be held in Bilbao this weekend. Athletic Club will be hosting Real Madrid in front of their supporters trying to prove themselves worthy of a win against the defending La Liga champions. On the other hand, Ancelotti's men will want to add more points to their tally to keep up the pace set by Barcelona.

The home team enters this match in eighth place and with an unflattering streak of three games without a win. Ernesto Valverde's team was held to two straight goalless draws against Betis and Osasuna, while their most recent fixture ended in a 3-1 loss to Real Sociedad. Those points dropped along the way have seen Los Leones falling to their current rank in La Liga, and if they don't want to slip further below, this will be a game they need to win.

On the other hand, Real Madrid recovered a bit of their pride during their Copa del Rey outing against Villarreal, but that does not hide fact that it has been a hard start of the year for Ancelotti's men. Los Merengues have lost two of their five games in 2023, and even if they are still close to Barcelona, dropping points is not an option if they want to win back-to-back titles this summer.

The match will also have an added bonus, as it will give fans a chance to see if Karim Benzema can continue with his impressive form against Athletic. The French ace has been a nightmare for Los Leones' defense, and with his form hitting a slump recently, it will be interesting to see if Athletic can make that work in their favor to claim their first win against Real Madrid at home and end an eight-year wait for that to happen.

Here are some interesting facts to keep an eye prior to the start of this game.

Athletic Club vs Real Madrid - Team news

Athletic's run in the competition has been slowed down by their players' inconsistencies. Valverde's team seems to have what it takes to reach the top six, but some performances, like last week's in the Basque derby, proved that this team is lacking a bit of depth to be considered a contender. For this match, Los Leones will rely on the offensive prowess of Iñaki Williams and Gorka Guruzeta, who have scored five goals each in La Liga this season.

On the other hand, Real Madrid seemed to show glimpses of their old self in their come-from-behind win over Villarreal in the Copa del Rey, which gave Los Blancos some breathing room after losing that game and the Supercopa de España against Barcelona. Nonetheless, the team's injury problems continue, and there will be some absences in their squad for precisely that reason. Fortunately for them, the offensive tandem created by Vinicius Jr and Karim Benzema will be around for this clash, as both players have combined their efforts to score 14 goals this season.

Here are the names of unavailable players for each team

Athletic Club - Injured: Íñigo Martínez. Suspended: Yeray Álvarez.

Real Madrid - Injured: Eden Hazard, David Alaba, Lucas Vázquez, Aurelién Tchouameni, Dani Carvajal.

Athletic Club vs Real Madrid - Head-to-head

The most recent game between these teams saw Athletic beating Real Madrid 1-0 in the Quarterfinals of last year's Copa del Rey.
Speaking of La Liga matches, Real Madrid have won three in a row against Los Leones, including a 2-1 victory in their last trip to the Nuevo San Mamés.
Real Madrid have earned three clean sheets against Athletic in their last six meetings(all comps).
Athletic Club have lost to Real Madrid at home in their last four La Liga meetings.
Athletic's last win against Real Madrid at home took place in March 2015, when they claimed a one-nil win over Los Merengues.

Karim Benzema has found the back of the net in five times in the last six games against Athletic Club.
Athletic's coach Ernesto Valverde will face Carlo Ancelotti for the seventh time in his career. His record shows only one win, two draws, and three losses against the Italian tactician.

Carlo Ancelotti is going to coach his ninth game against Athletic. His record so far shows five wins, one draw, and two defeats against the red and white side.