Athletic Bilbao v Real Madrid: Confirmed line-ups as Arda Guler is dropped
Real Madrid go to Athletic Bilbao tonight. Get all the team news here...
Real Madrid will hope to register their first win in four la Liga games when they visit Athletic Bilbao tonight.
The pressure is starting to grow on Xabi Alonso following draws against Rayo Vallecano, Elche and, at the weekend, Girona.
And with rumours of dressing room disharmony refusing to go away, the former Spain midfielder could do with a statement win at San Mames.
Athletic are eighth coming into the game and haven’t yet hit top gear this season. The weekend win at Levante was much needed.
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ATHLETIC BILBAO TEAM NEWS
Centre-back Unai Egiluz, midfielder Benat Prados and forward Maroan Sannadi are long-term absentees for Athletic Club, while defender Yeray Alvarez is serving a 10-month ban for taking a banned substance.
Forward Inaki Williams is recuperating from a serious injury to the adductor longus muscle in his right leg and Oihan Sancet is serving the second and final match of his suspension for being sent off at Camp Nou, but fellow midfielder Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta is available following a ban.
Aymeric Laporte returns at centre-half after a bout of gastroenteritis with Aitor Paredes dropping to the bench.
Yuri Berchiche and Robert Navarro are injured, meaning starts for Adama Boiro and Galarreta.
Athletic Bilbao: Unai Simón; Lekue, Vivian, Laporte, Adama Boiro; Rego, Galarreta; Berenguer, Jauregizar, N Williams; Guruzeta
REAL MADRID TEAM NEWS
Defenders Dani Carvajal and David Alaba are long-term absentees for Madrid but carried out indoor training on Monday alongside centre-back Dean Huijsen, who has missed two games with a knee niggle.
Alonso makes two changes to the team that drew with Girona. Alvaro Carreras returns at left-back and Eduardo Camavinga comes into midfield. Fran Garcia and Arda Guler drop out.
Real Madrid: Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Militao, Rüdiger, Carreras; Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Bellingham; Mbappé, Vinicius Jr
How to watch Athletic Club v Real Madrid: TV channel, online live stream
Kick-off on Wednesday is at 18:00 BST (13:00 ET / 10:00 PT), with live coverage in the UK on Premier Sports 2 and streaming available on a vast range of devices via the Premier Sports app.
A Premier Sports subscription costs £120 a year, £11.99 per month on a 12-month contract or £16.99 per month with 30 days’ cancellation notice required.
You can also watch the game on the bet365 website and app.
Athletic Club v Real Madrid stats
- Athletic Club have conceded the fewest expected goals allowed (13.3) of any team in this season’s Liga
- Only Espanyol (324) have made more crosses in the division than Athletic Club (311)
- Getafe (129) are the only team to have blocked more passes than them (125)
- Alex Berenguer has the sixth-highest expected assisted goals total in the division (3.1)
- Getafe’s Mauro Arambarri and Alaves’ Antonio Blanco (both 18) are the only players to have bettered Jauregizar’s tally of 17 tackles in the middle third of the pitch in 2025/26
- With 14 goals, Mbappe started the week as the Liga top scorer and was six ahead of next-nearest rival Robert Lewandowski, of Barcelona
- The striker’s three assists mean he has scored and set up at least five more goals combined than any other player in the 2025/26 top flight (Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal has 12)
- The France captain has 23 goals in his last 19 club matches
- Jude Bellingham has the fifth-highest shots on target percentage (54.2%) of any player to have had at least 10 attempts in this season’s division
- Alvaro Carreras has attempted (989) and completed (873) the most passes in La Liga since the start of the campaign