Athletic Club vs. Real Madrid Best Bets and Prediction
A big season awaits for Real Madrid, as the Spanish giants look to get back to the top of the domestic standings. It will be Carlo Ancelotti’s swansong at the club, as the latest reports indicate that he will take the Brazil job at the expiration of his contract.
It will be fascinating to see how Real Madrid set up in this opening match on the La Liga schedule, but they will be favored in the betting despite a number of big-name departures. You can find the latest odds and our Athletic Club vs Real Madrid prediction here.
Athletic Club vs Real Madrid
Location of the Game: San Mames, Bilbao, Spain.
Date and Time: Saturday, August 12. 3:30 PM ET.
How to Watch: ESPN+
Athletic Bilbao has a poor record in this fixture, as they have won just two of their last 36 matches against Real Madrid in La Liga. Over that period, Madrid has landed 28 victories, with six fixtures ending in draws.
Bilbao has also struggled in the final third against the Spanish giants in recent history, as they have failed to score in six of their last nine in La Liga.
While there will be pressure on Real Madrid this weekend, there will also be eyes on Bilbao as they look to recover following an underwhelming campaign in 2022-23.
The Spanish side finished outside of the European spots, as they ended the campaign in ninth place overall in the La Liga ranking. An improvement will be expected under Ernesto Valverde this term.
Bilbao parted ways with long-serving defender Inigo Martinez during the summer, while Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta is the only signing that the Spanish side have made.
They endured mixed fortunes throughout pre-season, as they won just once in six matches. The most recent of their friendly matches saw them play out a 1-1 draw against a second-string side of Manchester United.
The goal will be simple for Real Madrid this term, as they will be targeting a finish at the top of the La Liga standings. Ancelotti’s side fell away tamely last term, as they finished the campaign ten points behind Barcelona.
It has been a summer of change at the club, as they go into the campaign without Karim Benzema, who departed for Saudi Arabia, and Marco Asensio, who signed for PSG on a free transfer.
However, Real has still added quality to their squad this summer, with the eye-catching addition coming in the form of English star Jude Bellingham. But, they will appear light in the final third following Benzema’s departure, which ensures that the Kylian Mbappe saga remains one to keep an eye on over the final month of the transfer window.
Athletic Club are the outsiders in the La Liga odds for this fixture, as they are currently priced up at +260. Meanwhile, the draw is also an unlikely outcome at +250.
The visitors will be among the prominent selections when making an Athletic Club vs Real Madrid prediction this weekend. Real are currently available at +105, while they are +275 to cover the (-1) spread.
Real Madrid kickstarts a new era on Sunday, and there will be pressure on them to get off to the best possible start. However, we struggle to overlook the visitors when making an Athletic Club vs Real Madrid prediction, as they have dominated the previous encounters.
Meanwhile, Real are unbeaten on matchday one in La Liga in the last 14, which includes ten wins over that period. It will be a low-scoring match, but we expect Real Madrid to start with a win.
- Pick 1: Real Madrid (+105)
- Pick 2: Under 2.5 Goals (+100)
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