Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
Although Athletic Bilbao is in the bottom half of the table, there is no discounting them. They are the only team in the Spanish top-flight that has never been relegated outside of Real and Barca.
The biggest strengths of this Athletic Bilbao side are their defensive work ethic as a unit and effectiveness in creating goal scoring opportunities. They might not be the best team in the league when it comes to defensive capabilities, however, they more than make up for it with their high defensive scheme which follows some version of the famed ‘gegenpressing.’
Atheltic look to build-up from the back through Iturraspe, Susaeta, and Mikel San Jose, who are good ball carriers. The ball is carried forward through the likes of Raul Garcia and Iñaki Williams in the final third. They look to create goal scoring opportunities with long balls and crosses into the box. Real Madrid defenders will have to put in a shift tonight to deny the Basque club at the Bernabéu.
Weaknesses
The biggest reason why this team currently sits on the 13th is because of their efforts in front of the goal. They lack the composure when presented with goal scoring opportunities. To put things into perspective, Bilbao has attempted 357 shots, out of which 166 were off target and 59 shots were blocked.
Also, this team fails to control the attacks from the opposition down the wings. Because the wing players play in an advanced role, it is important for the center halves to be super efficient at their work. Teams with greater technical quality have often out foxed the Bilbao defenders. As a result, they have conceded most of their goals from open play.
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For Real Madrid though, this game at the Bernabéu is the one last drill before the big Champions League game against Bayern Munich.
Expect Zidane to play his preferred XI that might feature against Bayern to get his tactics and positioning right. It promises to be a good game between a good defensive team and a team that thrives when allowed to attack.
Keep an eye on the duel between Raul Garcia and Sergio Ramos in a rivalry that has been fun to watch for years.