Real Madrid will clash heads with Athletic Club Bilbao at the San Mames Stadium on Sunday afternoon as they look to earn a win on the road and keep pace with Atletico Madrid in the title race. Los Blancos managed to pick up an impressive 4-1 victory over Granada earlier this week, so they will be confident about picking up maximum points in midweek.
Zinedine Zidane will set his side up in a 4-3-3 formation and is expected to make one change to his starting XI for this game. Marcelo missed out on the win versus Granada because of injury but should be back for this clash this weekend.
4-3-3 Real Madrid Predicted Lineup To Face Granada
Defence
Thibaut Courtois will operate in goal for Los Blancos on Sunday after conceding one goal in his last league outing. Nacho will continue to play alongside Eder Militao at the centre of the Madrid backline as they look to defend well and secure a clean sheet on the road.
Federico Valverde will play as the right-back while Marcelo returns to operate as the left-back. Zidane will ask both of them to provide decent width by stretching the Bilbao backline with their overlapping runs in the final third.
Álvaro Odriozola and Miguel Gutiérrez will have to be content with a place on the bench as he offers cover for the defensive positions.
Midfield
Toni Kroos, Casemiro and Luka Modric will make up Zidane’s midfield as they focus on establishing their dominance over the opposition by moving the ball quickly in the hopes of finding some holes in the Bilbao backline.
Isco will be named on the bench but could come to influence the game in the second 45 minutes if required.
Attack
Vinicius Junior will function as the left-sided wide player while Marco Asensio looks to impress on the other side as the right-winger. Karim Benzema will once again get the responsibility to spearhead Zidane’s attack down the middle. The Frenchman managed to get his name on the scoresheet versus Granada earlier this week, so he will fancy finding the back of the net once again this weekend.
Rodrygo, Eden Hazard and Mariano will offer some firepower off the bench if Los Blancos are in need of a goal late in the game.
