Real Madrid Vs Athletic Bilbao
Real Madrid Vs Athletic Bilbao Tuesday 15th December 2020 – 21:00 (kick-off)
Spanish La Liga
Pick: Real Madrid Win to Nil
Odds: 29/20
Bookmaker: BetVictor
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 13th December 2020)
Preview: Not since 2005 have Athletic Bilbao travelled to the Spanish capital and left with maximum points following a La Liga duel with Real Madrid. The latter triumphant in 13 of 15 subsequent meetings in Madrid, although not in 2019/20 when surprisingly held to a goalless stalemate.
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Table of Contents
Real Madrid – Defence back to its miserly best?
As weeks go, we could look back at these last seven days as the defining period in the second reign of Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid. Standing on the brink in Europe whilst the defence of their league crown falters, Los Blancos have done what they often do which is deliver when the chips are down. Three wins – two in the league and one in Europe – garnering six points and a place in the Champions League last-sixteen.
The tricky part now, then, is to sustain this newfound momentum. Real haven’t won more than three games consecutively all season. In fact, they only managed two throughout the whole of November (W2 D1 L2), with both coming against Inter Milan in Europe. Meanwhile, three La Liga fixtures returned a single point following ignominious defeats to Valencia at the Mestalla and here in Madrid to lowly Alaves.
The recent turnaround, therefore, has been stark with Zidane on the cusp of registering four successive victories for the first time since Real marched to last season’s title with a run of ten straight upon the restart. The Frenchman will pin his hopes on this latest resurgence, having beaten Sevilla and Atletico Madrid in their latest two league outings without conceding, can provide the catalyst for greater consistency.
Athletic Bilbao – Home sickness still very much prevalent?
Talking of consistency, Athletic Bilbao have been lacking all season. Saturday’s 2-2 draw at the Mestalla – where Real Madrid were beaten 4-1 only last month – stretching their winless run in La Liga to three (D1 L2), having won only four of twelve league games (W4 D2 L6) since kicking things off with a 2-0 defeat away in Granada on 12th September.
A lot of the problems stem from an ability to replicate performances at San Mames, where they had won three on the spin before recently losing 2-0 to Celta Vigo, when travelling. This season, Athletic have won only once on the road despite having had seven attempts at doing so, collecting a paltry two of the last fifteen points available away from home since edging Eibar at their Ipurua stadium on Matchday 2.
Their away travails hasn’t been for the want of trying, though, leading in each of their last two away fixtures but failing to hold out on either occasion against Getafe (1-1) and Valencia (2-2). It was in the latter that Gaizka Garitano’s men extended their current barren sequence, producing their strongest away performance of the season from an attacking perspective (1.94 xG) only to be pegged back seven minutes from time.
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Real Madrid Vs Athletic Bilbao Betting Advice
It would appear the Spanish champions have rediscovered their swagger. Three straight wins, beating Sevilla, Borussia Monchengladbach and Atletico Madrid by an aggregate of 5-0, going some way to reducing the arrears on the league leaders Real Sociedad whilst also confirming the club’s continued participation in Europe. Saturday’s Madrid derby success, in particular, was especially impressive.
Real Madrid Vs Atletico Madrid – Key Facts:
- Zidane recently watched on as his under-fire Real Madrid team recorded three consecutive victories against Sevilla, Gladbach and Atletico Madrid without letting in a single goal.
- One win (W1 D2 L4) and six goals is the grand total of Athletic Bilbao‘s away endeavours in La Liga so far this season. Gaizka Garitano’s men are also winless in three (D1 L2).
- Real Madrid are unbeaten at home to Athletic Bilbao in the league since 2005, winning 13 of 15 meetings thereafter but only one of the past three (W1 D2).
Real Madrid didn’t allow Atletico a single effort on target at the weekend, in what was the third competitive game in a row in which Zidane’s men had conceded less than 1xGC. That is ominous ahead of the visit from Athletic Bilbao, who are without a win in three now following their weekend draw in Valencia. The Basque club managing only one win and less than a goal-per-game (0.86) across seven away outings so far.
Best Betting Odds – Real Madrid Vs Athletic Bilbao
Real Madrid – 4/9 (PaddyPower)
Draw – 7/2 (Betway)
Athletic BIlbao – 6/1 (Betfair)
