Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid Prediction, Tips & Odds – Aug. 12, 2023
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Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid Prediction 12.08.2023. At the beginning of the new LaLiga season, Athletic Bilbao will host Real Madrid. The match is scheduled for Saturday at 21:30 (9:30 PM) at the San Mamés stadium.
The home team finished the previous season in eighth place in the strongest Spanish competition, while the guests secured the second position.
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Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid Odds
Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madridy 1×2: 3.34⁄3.54⁄2.18
Total goals over/under (2.5): 1.86⁄2.00
Double chance 1x/12/x2: 1.68⁄1.32⁄1.34
Both teams to score YES/NO: 1.71⁄2.16
Athletic Bilbao Team News
In their recent friendly match, Athletic Bilbao drew with Manchester United in Dublin, and the result was 1-1. The Spanish team took the lead in the 29th minute when Oihan Sancet set up Nico Williams, who put the ball in the net. In the middle of the second half, Aitor Paredes received a red card, and United managed to equalize only in injury time.
During preparation, Bilbao played six friendly matches, achieving one win, three draws, and two losses. In the previous season, they finished in eighth place with 51 points, just two points behind seventh-placed Osasuna, and they didn’t qualify for European competitions.
Athletic has not reported any injury concerns after the draw with Manchester United last weekend, so assuming there are no late complications, head coach Ernesto Valverde could have an entire squad available here. There is a strong chance that the same eleven players who started against Manchester United will be on the field from the first minute here, although Yeray Alvarez is likely to join the defense if he proves his fitness.
Asier Villalibre and Gorka Guruzeta are among the attackers competing for a spot in the starting lineup. Still, it is expected that Iker Muniain and Oihan Sancet will also feature alongside Nico Williams and Inaki Williams in the attacking part of the field.
Real Madrid Team News
The footballers of Real Madrid lost to Juventus with a score of 3-1 in their previous preparatory match. The Italian club took the lead in the first minute, and they doubled their advantage nineteen minutes later. Towards the end of the first half of the match, Toni Kroos assisted Vinicius Junior, who found the back of the net. Juventus sealed the final result in the closing moments of the game, putting an end to this encounter.
Before facing the Italian club, Real Madrid played three more friendly matches, securing two wins and suffering one loss. They finished the previous season in LaLiga in second place with 78 points, ten points behind the first-placed Barcelona. In the Champions League, they were eliminated in the semifinals by Manchester City, with an aggregate score of 5-1.
Real Madrid will be without four players for the upcoming match this weekend. Newcomer Arda Guler will be absent due to a knee problem, Ferland Mendy and Dani Ceballos will also be unavailable due to muscle issues, and it was confirmed on Thursday that the first-choice goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois will require surgery for a front cruciate ligament injury, which means Andriy Lunin will be in goal.
As mentioned before, Carlo Ancelotti has employed a diamond formation in the midfield during the preparation period, which will likely be the case in this match as well. Jude Bellingham is likely to make his debut as the most advanced midfielder.
Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo will likely operate as the attacking pair on Saturday, while Aurelien Tchouameni is expected to get an opportunity in the midfield alongside Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga, leaving Luka Modric and Toni Kroos on the bench.
Another significant decision by Ancelotti pertains to the left-back position, where newcomer Fran Garcia is playing, but David Alaba could feature in that position to allow Antonio Rudiger to play in the center of defense.
Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid H2H
In this calendar year, these two teams have played two matches against each other. In the first one, Real Madrid emerged victorious with a score of 2-0, while the second match ended in a draw.
Injuries and suspensions
Athletic Bilbao: –
Real Madrid: Arda Guler, Thibaut Courtois, Ferland Mendy, Dani Ceballos
Expected Lineups
Athletic Bilbao (4-2-3-1): Simon; De Marcos, Alvarez, Vivian, Lekue; Ruiz de Galarreta, Vesga; N Williams, Sancet, Muniain; I Williams
Real Madrid (4-3-1-2): Lunin; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Alaba; Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinicius
Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid Prediction
Real Madrid is a slight favorite in this match, but Athletic has the advantage of playing at home, so we can’t confidently predict a “clear victory” for the away team. Therefore, our suggestion is either a draw or an away team win, with the expectation that there will be at least two goals scored throughout the match.
Kick-off Time: Saturday, 12.08.2023, 9:30 PM Local Time (GMT 0), 21:30 CET
Prediction: draw/Real Madrid & over 1.5
Odds (when tipped): 1.71
Sportsbook: Ivibet