Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao Preview & Prediction | 2022-23 Spanish Primera
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THE FACTS
When is Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao on and what time does it start? Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao will take place on Sunday 4th June, 2023 – 18:00 (UK)
Where can I get tickets for Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao ? Visit each club’s official website for the latest ticket information
What TV channel is Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao on in the UK? Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao will be televised live on LaLigaTV (Sky channel 435, Virgin channel 554) for those with a Viaplay subscription, while Sky and Virgin customers can also sign up to the channel.
Where can I stream Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao in the UK? Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao can be streamed live on Viaplay
THE LOWDOWN
Real Madrid
It could well be a summer of upheaval at the Santiago Bernabeu this weekend with several members of coaching staff and the playing staff unaware of their immediate future. The likes of Nacho, Dani Carvajal and Marco Asensio are being linked away, whilst news has also broken that Karim Benzema is considering a move to an unnamed Saudi Pro League side. All of this is happening with their manager, Carlo Ancelotti, also having a doubtful future.
Los Blancos head into the final day of the 2022/23 La Liga season with very little to play for other than avoiding finishing below their city rivals, Atletico, for the fifth time in the last nine seasons. Their most recent outing was a 2-1 win away to Sevilla in which Rodrygo scored a dramatic late winner.
That victory was their third in four matches as they seek to recover from the annihilation they suffered at the Etihad Stadium in the second-leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final against Manchester City a few weeks ago.
Athletic Bilbao
Ernesto Valverde was appointed at San Mames in the summer of 2022 and the Basque club had been expected to earn European qualification for the first time since they reached the Round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League in the 2017/18 season. Heading into the 38th and final 2022/23 La Liga match day, they begin the weekend sitting eighth in the table, level on points with Osasuna in seventh, who occupy the UEFA Europa Conference League qualification spot.
The Basque club may consider their chance of a return to Europe as blown and will blame Osasuna for it. Firstly, Osasuna defeated them in the Copa del Rey semi-finals in April and then the Pamplona club leapfrogged Athletic into the top seven with 2-0 win at El Sadar against Valverde’s side about ten days ago.
Since that loss, Athletic followed it up with a 1-0 defeat at home to an improved but still bottom-of-the-table and already relegated Elche side in their most recent outing, last weekend. That means they have won and collected just four points from their last seven Liga matches.
THE PREDICTION
It could be quite an emotional evening at the Bernabeu on Sunday with Real Madrid bidding farewell to a few legendary figures at the club and it not yet known whether more will confirm their departure from the Spanish capital and 14-time European champions. The hosts are seeking to finish the season with something of a flourish and three successive Liga victories. Simply, Athletic will finish in the top seven and earn UEFA Europa Conference League qualification if they win and Osasuna fail to win. The Basque club will go to the Bernabeu needing to attack their opposition so it could be quite an entertaining final day encounter.
TIP: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE
