Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid

Record-time La Liga champions Real Madrid head to the Estadio San Mames to encounter Athletic Bilbao in their 2023/24 curtain-raiser.

Seeking a European return for the first time since 2017/18, Athletic Bilbao are looking to better last season’s 8th-place finish despite going radio silent during the summer transfer window. Ernesto Valverde’s men have failed to recover from narrowly missing out on a European finish in 2022/23, as witnessed by their dreadful run of form during the off-season (W1, D3, L2). In fact, Bilbao’s underwhelming pre-season showings only maintained their woeful stretch from the tail-end of last season, where they went winless in three straight league matches (D1, L2). Valverde must address his side’s ever-growing scoring problems, with ‘Los Leones’ failing to get on the scoresheet in five of their last seven league games on home turf (W2, D1, L4). That’s easier said than done, considering they’ve drawn a blank in three of their four most recent top-flight H2Hs against Madrid at home (L4).

On the other hand, Real Madrid’s bid to recover domestic supremacy after finishing runners-up to Barcelona in 2022/23 could prove a daunting task after losing long-serving stalwart Karim Benzema to Al-Ittihad in the summer. Jude Bellingham’s blockbuster arrival from Borussia Dortmund should refresh Carlo Ancelotti’s midfield options, but without their most prolific forward, goals could be at a premium. ‘Los Merengues’ only netted once in their final two pre-season friendlies, going down to Juventus and Barcelona by a combined score of 6-1! Adding to Ancelotti’s list of concerns, Madrid’s disheartening form at the tail-end of last season saw them suffer three defeats in their final four La Liga fixtures (W1), highlighting the importance of a strong start this year.