Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid will meet in the 18th round of La Liga. Athletic Bilbao occupies the tenth position in the table, and a goal is a place among six teams. Real Madrid is three points behind the first-placed Barcelona, so it will be a big fight for the title.
January 22nd, 2023– 21:00
Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid Betting Tips & Predictions
Real Madrid to win @ 2.40
BTTS Yes @ 1.75
Correct score 1:2 @ 11.00
Reason for Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid Predictions
Like Real Madrid, Athletic Bilbao also suffered a painful 3-1 defeat by their arch-rivals last weekend. In their case, Real Sociedad was the team that got the better of them in the Basque derby, denting Athletic’s chances of a top-four finish. In fairness to Ernesto Valverde’s side, qualifying for the Champions League was always going to be difficult this term, especially if Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid go on to take three of the four spots as expected. The Europa League was always the more realistic objective. Athletic are definitely contenders for a top-six finish, but the defeat by Real Sociedad was a blow. Valverde’s men were outplayed at Anoeta, and although the red card shown to Yeray Alvarez on the hour mark made their task harder, la Real were worthy winners on the balance of play. Athletic are arguably a little unfortunate to only be eighth in the standings. When teams in La Liga are ranked by expected goal difference – that is, the quality of the chances created minus the quality of the chances conceded – Athletic are third, behind only Barcelona and Real Madrid. Muniain has excellent control of the ball, and he can play in several positions. Asier Villalibre enjoys the pitch, and when he receives the ball and heads toward the goal, the opponent has problems.
It is clear, though, that the Blancos are not at the top of their game in early 2023. They were outplayed by Barcelona in the final of the Supercopa de Espana last weekend, going down 3-1 to their arch-rivals in Saudi Arabia. Before that, they lost 2-1 to Villarreal in La Liga, allowing Barcelona to move to the summit of the standings. A manager of Ancelotti’s vast experience will not be panicking – and nor should he. But the defensive errors his side made against Barcelona were not a one-off: Madrid has kept a clean sheet in only one of their last six outings in the league. There were issues further forward too. Aurelien Tchouameni was sorely missed in midfield, and the Frenchman will play no part on Sunday either. Up front, Madrid did not create enough chances to challenge Barcelona truly. Ancelotti will want to see a vastly improved display here. Vinicius Junior plays excellently, he is fast in the one-on-one game, and he is unstoppable. Camavinga is an excellent midfielder, he is strong, and it isn’t easy to take the ball away from him. Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has to contend with a number of unavailable players. David Alaba (Muscle Injury) and Aurélien Tchouameni (Muscle Injury) are not able to play.
It is going to be an exciting clash, as Athletic Bilbao is not without a chance of remaining undefeated. However, we believe Real Madrid should meet the expectations and deliver a win.
We can expect a big fight between these two teams, and both of them should be able to score. One thing is for sure – football fans should enjoy this game.