Two clubs in opposite halves of the Liga BBVA table will do battle today in a league match between Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao. The first-division clash scheduled for 3 p.m. ET will be held at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid and can be live streamed here free. Additional TV coverage can be found on beIN Sports.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti had this to offer ahead of today's league encounter (via Marca): "We're still working on not conceding goals from set pieces. We struggled as much as expected, conceding an early goal just complicated matters more."
When asked about the health of his star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, he added: "He picked up a knock to his ankle. He's in pain, but it doesn't look serious at first glance."
Tactical Preview
Player to Watch: Athletic Bilbao's Ander Iturraspe has one goal in six appearances, but his defensive prowess will be on display in the Spanish capital. The 25-year-old is averaging 2.2 tackles and four interceptions per match. More of the same will be required to stymie Madrid's potent counterattack.
Real Madrid's Projected Lineup (4-3-3): Casillas; Marcelo, Ramos, Varane, Carvajal; James, Kroos, Modric; Ronaldo, Benzema, Bale
Athletic Bilbao's Projected Lineup (4-3-3): Iraizoz; Iraola, San José, Laporte, Balenziaga; Iturraspe, Rico, Beñat; Muniaín, Aduriz, Ibai
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (lineups and statistics via WhoScored).
Standings
| Rnk | Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | +/- | Pts | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FC Barcelona | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 19 | 19 | |||
| 2 | Valencia CF | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 4 | 13 | 17 | |||
| 3 | Atlético Madrid | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 14 | |||
| 4 | Sevilla FC | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 13 | |||
| 5 | Real Madrid CF | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 9 | 11 | 12 | |||
| 6 | Celta de Vigo | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 12 | |||
| 7 | Eibar | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 9 | |||
| 8 | UD Almería | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 9 | |||
| 9 | Málaga CF | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 7 | -2 | 9 | |||
| 10 | Villarreal CF | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 8 | |||
| 11 | Rayo Vallecano | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 12 | -2 | 8 | |||
| 12 | Granada CF | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 11 | -6 | 8 | |||
| 13 | Getafe CF | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 11 | -7 | 7 | |||
| 14 | RCD Espanyol | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 8 | -1 | 6 | |||
| 15 | Real Sociedad | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 9 | -1 | 5 | |||
| 16 | Elche CF | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 16 | -9 | 5 | |||
| 17 | Levante UD | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 15 | -11 | 5 | |||
| 18 | Athletic Club | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 4 | |||
| 19 | Córdoba CF | 7 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 11 | -7 | 4 | |||
| 20 | Deportivo La Coruña | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 15 | -8 | 4 |
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