Ath Bilbao vs Real Madrid prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2025-12-02 18:00.
[p]Athletic Club returned to form at the weekend just in time for this clash with a stuttering Real Madrid, who no longer top the La Liga table.[/p]
[p]Match News and Current Form[/p]
[p]Athletic went ahead early against Levante on Saturday and were rarely troubled afterwards (2-0), with the performance coming as a boost after failing to score in their two previous competitive fixtures (D1, L1). The Lions remain in La Liga’s top half and are one of many sides with realistic European qualification ambitions as the halfway stage of the season approaches. To stay on track though, they must improve their home league form (W2, D1, L2), as consistently dropping points at San Mamés may well jeopardise their chances of a third consecutive top-six finish.[/p]
[p]Real Madrid’s 1-1 draw at Girona has seen them share the spoils in three successive La Liga matches in the same season for the first time since December 2019, when the third of those draws was ironically against Athletic! Head coach Xabi Alonso bemoaned a lack of accuracy on Sunday as Los Blancos now sit in second place below Barcelona in the standings and are playing catch-up in more ways than one, having conceded first in their last three competitive fixtures (W1, D2). Winning just one of their last five away games (D3, L1) hardly inspires much hope of things improving here either.[/p]
[p]Head-to-Head History[/p]
[p]Madrid have lost just one of the last six H2Hs (W4, D1), with all four of those wins accompanied by a clean sheet. None of the last seven H2Hs that Athletic have hosted have finished level (W2, L5).[/p]
[p]Hot Stats and Streaks[/p]
[p]No team have conceded fewer first-half goals at home in La Liga this season than Athletic (one).[/p]
[p]Athletic have conceded exactly once in four of their last five league games at San Mamés and did so in this fixture last term too (W 2-1).[/p]
[p]None of Madrid’s last three La Liga matches featured a goal before the 40th minute.[/p]
[p]Madrid have conceded fewer than three corners in three of their last four league away fixtures.[/p]
[p]Key Players to Watch and Missing Players[/p]
[p]Nico Williams has scored two of Athletic’s last three goals, while all three of his goals this season have come between the 20th minute and half-time. Jude Bellingham, whose first-ever strike for Madrid was here in August 2023, has netted three of his four goals this term between the 40th and 60th minutes.[/p]
[p]Athletic winger Robert Navarro’s fitness is in doubt after he suffered an injury against Levante, while Madrid seemingly have no fresh absentees.[/p]
[p]For all the latest team news, please check the Flashscore match centre.[/p]
[p]Betting Analysis[/p]
[p]Given Madrid’s recent failures to make early headway in games and Athletic’s first-half resilience, our tip is to back the hosts to win the first half.[/p]
[p][i]Author: John Pennington[/i][/p]