Preview: Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao - prediction, team news, lineups

Real Madrid will be bidding to end what has been a disappointing La Liga campaign on a positive note when they welcome Athletic Bilbao to Bernabeu on Saturday night.

Los Blancos have finished second in this season's La Liga table, while Athletic are down in 12th, and there will be no European football at San Mames during the 2026-27 campaign.

Match preview

Alvaro Arbeloa's time as Real Madrid head coach will come to an end on Saturday, with Los Blancos concluding their season at home to Athletic; Jose Mourinho is set to be announced as Arbeloa's replacement next week, with the Portuguese in line for a stunning Bernabeu return.

There is no getting away from the fact that it has been a disappointing campaign for Real Madrid, with no trophies being secured, and they will finish a distant second in La Liga, currently sitting 11 points behind the champions Barcelona, who won the title in El Clasico earlier this month.

Arbeloa's team will enter this match off the back of a 1-0 win over Sevilla, and as expected, the capital side have again been strong at home this season, picking up 46 points from 18 matches, with only Barcelona (57 points) boasting a better record in front of their own fans.

Real Madrid recorded a 3-0 win over Athletic in the reverse match earlier this season, while it was 1-0 when the pair locked horns at Bernabeu during the 2024-25 campaign.

Athletic have not actually beaten Real Madrid at Bernabeu since January 2021, while Los Blancos have 125 wins from their 249 games against Athletic throughout history.

The visitors will enter this match off the back of a 1-1 draw against Celta Vigo, with that result ending their slim hopes of sneaking into a European spot on the final matchday.

Athletic have picked up just one point from their last three matches, and they are currently 12th in the table; the Basque side can join seventh-placed Getafe on 48 points this weekend, but the capital team have the superior head-to-head record, so Europe is beyond Ernesto Valverde's team.

This match will represent Valverde's final game at the helm, with the 62-year-old moving on this summer, and Edin Terzic has already been confirmed as his replacement.

Terzic has been without a position since leaving Borussia Dortmund in June 2024, and he will arrive at San Mames on a contract until the summer of 2028.

Athletic finished fourth in La Liga last season and played Champions League football during the current campaign, so the drop off this term has been significant.

Real Madrid La Liga form:

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Athletic Bilbao La Liga form:

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Team News

Vinicius Junior is not expected to be involved for Real Madrid on Saturday, with the attacker set to link up with the Brazil squad to prepare for the 2026 World Cup.

Rodrygo (knee), Arda Guler (hamstring), Eder Militao (hamstring) and Ferland Mendy (thigh) will also miss the match, but club captain Federico Valverde has been cleared to feature, having recovered from the head injury that he sustained in a recent clash with teammate Aurelien Tchouameni.

Valverde and Tchouameni could start in the middle of midfield, while Vinicius' absence could open the door for Franco Mastantuono to feature in the final third alongside Brahim Diaz and Kylian Mbappe.

As for Athletic, Nico Williams (hamstring), Oihan Sancet (muscle) and Yuri Berchiche (suspended) are definitely out of Saturday's contest with Real Madrid.

Meanwhile, Unai Eguiluz (knee), Unai Gomez (muscle), Dani Vivian (ankle) and Benat Prados (knee) need to be assessed before final decisions on their availability can be made.

Inaki Williams and Alex Berenguer are once again expected to operate in the wide areas on Saturday, but there could be a change in the final third, with Robert Navarro potentially being introduced.

Real Madrid possible starting lineup:

Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Rudiger, Huijsen, F Garcia; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Brahim, Mbappe, Mastantuono

Athletic Bilbao possible starting lineup:

Simon; Gorosabel, Alvarez, Laporte, Boiro; Ruiz de Galarreta, Jauregizar; I Williams, Navarro, Berenguer; Guruzeta

We say: Real Madrid 2-1 Athletic Bilbao

Real Madrid will want to give their supporters something to cheer on the final matchday of the 2025-26 campaign, and we are expecting Los Blancos to secure all three points, but it could be close in terms of the scoreline.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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