Athletic Bilbao – Real Madrid

A weakened Athletic will not be a problem for Madrid

Athletic take on Real Madrid at home on Sunday 22 January. Madrid continue to be tested by a tough calendar. Three days after their game against Villarreal, the team travel to Bilbao. The King's Cup match was marked by a very dramatic storyline. Madrid were trailing by two goals, but then Ceballos and Asensio came on and unexpectedly turned the game around. In doing so, Real refuted the judgement about the lack of decent players in the rotation. Ancelotti's side qualified for the quarter-finals but left a lot of energy that was already lacking after the gruelling encounters in Saudi Arabia. Carlo Ancelotti's local conflict with Rodrigo does not add to the optimism. It is likely that the Brazilian will not play in the coming matches for disciplinary reasons. In terms of the fight for the title, Real Madrid have a crucial part of the season ahead of them. Barcelona are already three points ahead. Any defeat could be fatal. Real Madrid, despite the striking Cup win, have not been convincing at all since the World Cup. The veteran players' problems have gone nowhere. Modrić and Kroos look significantly weaker than in the first half of the season. At the distance, the loss of Casemiro is beginning to be felt. All is not well in terms of injured players either. Alaba, Tchouameni and Lucas Vazquez will definitely not play against Athletic. Not the worst of losses, but Madrid still have a very modest rotation. There may not be enough strength for all the tournaments. To the delight of Real Madrid, Athletic are also going through a difficult time. The club have global difficulties in attack. In three games in La Liga, the Basques have only scored one goal. Athletic are still a contender for a place in the top four, but currently occupy only eighth place. Ernesto Valverde's side's schedule has gone downhill. This can also be attributed to the poor form of the leaders. The Williams brothers are not making a difference in attack, and Iker Muniain has dropped out of the starting line-up altogether. In the match against Real Sociedad, the defence was also unexpectedly let down. Prior to the Basque derby, Athletic had the best record in terms of chances. The situation was relatively rectified in the cup game against Espanyol. Valverde's side made it through to the quarter-finals, beating the Catalans 1-0 in trademark style. There was no global rotation. Atletico also lacked two equivalent squads. A very important factor is the absence of their two leading defenders. Alvarez is suspended and Iñigo Martínez will miss the match through injury. It will be much easier for Real Madrid to get past the Basque defence. The odds on Madrid seem overstated. The club is on a moral high after winning the Cup. Athletic could organise difficulties but are unlikely to claim anything more than a draw.