Real Madrid’s win over Getafe gave them a four-point lead over Barcelona. With the race to La Liga’s crown firmly under their control, Los Blancos are five matches away from their 34th league title.
Before the club starts popping Champaign bottles, completing this difficult stretch of matches is key. A late winner against Getafe put them in the drier seat, but an equally difficult task awaits Zinedine Zidane’s men as they travel to surging Athletic Club.
With three wins in the past four matches and 11 points in six games since the restart, the performances of the Basque side have catapulted them into Europa League contention. Once a distant objective, European play is now within the grasp of Gaizka Garitano’s side.
In this tactical analysis, we’ll examine the matchup between Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid. With Madrid expected to have approximately 65% of possession, we’ll take an in-depth look at Bilbao’s defensive structure through the phases, showing how they hope to dictate play through defence. Understanding how Real Madrid will attack the Athletic Club defence will follow, proceeded by an examination as to why neither team can rely on counterattacking success in this matchup, which greatly hinders Athletic Club’s odds of scoring.
Predicted Lineup
Athletic Club’s predicted lineup (4-2-3-1)– Unai Simón; Ander Capa, Yeray Álvarez, Íñigo Martínez, Yuri Berchiche; Dani García, Unai López; Iñaki Williams, Oihan Sancet, Iker Muniain; Raúl García
With Athletic Bilbao needing a result to stay alive in their bid for a Europa League spot, expect Garitano to field a more attacking side. García has started a couple of matches in a row, so there’s a chance he’s rested, moving Williams to the top of the formation, but García’s goal-scoring form is desperately needed in this match. Look for the youngster, Sancet, to earn another big start with Muniain to his left.
