Real Madrid predicted XI vs. Athletic Bilbao: A surprise start for Eder Militao?
Coming off of two massive matches against Valencia and FC Barcelona, Real Madrid must now prepare for another big game against Athletic Bilbao on Sunday night.
Los Merengues now have all eyes on their final game of the calendar year and they will want to end it with all three points, especially after two consecutive draws in La Liga. A win against the Basque side will ensure that the team will at least be level on points with first-placed Barcelona in the New Year.
Predicted Starting XI
Thibaut Courtois
Zinedine Zidane occasionally likes to rotate his goalkeepers but there is no reason for that in a game such as this. Courtois has been in magnificent form and the Belgian is expected to be the one chosen between the sticks on Sunday night.
Dani Carvajal
A fluctuating season for him has seen Dani come out with arguably his best performance in El Clasico. The player and the team will want this momentum to continue and therefore he is the correct choice as right-back over Alvaro Odriozola, who has been below average so far this season.
Raphael Varane
An immense performance by the French center-back on Wednesday will see him start again. He picked up a minor injury during the game but should be fine to start against Bilbao.
Eder Militao
Sergio Ramos seemed to be a little injured on Wednesday and this could mean that Zidane won’t take any risks with the captain. Eder Militao has proven that he can step in seamlessly whenever required and he may be asked to do so again.
Ferland Mendy
Mendy is Real Madrid’s only fit natural left-back and someone that has shown he can be counted upon defensively. He still has some work to do whenever going forward but the Frenchman is not a risky choice on the night.
Federico Valverde
With Carlos Casemiro suspended after accumulation of yellow cards, we’ll see Federico Valverde starting the game as a defensive midfielder similarly to the match against Valencia. He has done well in the position and will have learnt from the minor mistakes he made on that night.
Toni Kroos
The midfield simply isn’t the same without Toni Kroos as the German has shown his ability to dictate play time and time again. We would have been expected to get accustomed to it by now but somehow, the midfielder never ceases to amaze.
Luka Modric
Luka came on as a late substitute in El Clasico, so he should be fully fit to start against Athletic Club. His inclusion is not the liability that is was last season as Zidane has found a way to make the Croatian an asset to the team once again.
Rodrygo Goes
Just like Modric, Rodrygo was also a late substitute on Wednesday night and will be raring to go once again on Sunday. Zidane clearly counts on him and since Gareth Bale played the full 90 minutes at the Camp Nou, Rodrygo is probably a clear choice to start on the wing.
Vinicius Junior
Yes, it’s the return of the Brazilians! Vinicius has been working on his game a lot more this season and it has shown in recent matches. He’ll want to now prove himself again on the pitch and I predict that Zidane will be giving him the chance to impress.
Next. Real Madrid interested in signing another young Ligue 1 midfielder. dark
Karim Benzema
To be completely truthful, I wish I could say that Benzema will be rested once in a while but how can you possibly bench a player who has been offering so much in each game? The Frenchman is expected to start once again as Zidane knows for sure that anything less than three points won’t be accepted.
Full Predicted Lineup:
Thibaut Courtois, Dani Carvajal, Raphael Varane, Sergio Ramos, Ferland Mendy, Federico Valverde, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Rodrygo Goes, Vinicius Junior, Karim Benzema