Athletic Club vs Real MadridLa Liga, Matchday 14 Match Time: 20:45 CET Venue: San Mamés Capacity: 53.289 Referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz Assistant Referee 1: Pau Cebrián Devís Assistant Referee 2: Teodoro Sobrino MagánExpected Line-ups( from AS):Real Madrid: Navas; Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Varane, Carvajal; Casemiro, Kroos, Modric, Isco, Ronaldo; BenzemaFull 19-Man SquadOut for this game: Achraf, Asensio, Bale, Marcos LlorenteCoach: ZizouAthletic Club: Kepa, De Marcos, Etxeita, Nunez, Balenziaga, Iturraspe, Mikel Rico, Williams, Susaeta, Raul Garcia, AdruizCoach: José Ángel Ziganda LakunzaRecent FormReal Madrid: WDWWDAthletic: LDWDLPosition in the table before matchday 14 :#TeamMPW-D-LGF-GAPoints4Real Madrid138-3-225-112716Athletic Club133-4-614-1813Athletic vs Real Madrid: match previewReal Madrid tonight face a tough test when they travel to take on Athletic at San Mamés (8:45pm CET). The Whites head into their final away outing of the calendar year after having cut the gap on the leading pack in the last round of LaLiga fixtures. Meanwhile, Zinedine Zidane's charges sealed their place in the Copa del Rey round of 16 in midweek.The trip to Bilbao represents the side's first outing in a demading final month of 2017, in which the madridistas face a total of six games. After their meeting with Athletic, Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla are the visitors to the Bernabéu in the Champions League and LaLiga respectively. After these games come the two matches in Abu Dhabi as the side goes in search of another Club World Cup crown, before bringing the curtain down on the year with El Clásico on home soil.Speaking in the build-up, Zidane commented that "We're in for a difficult game at San Mamés but we're ready to put in a good display”. In the bid to see his side deliver that performance, the Whites' boss is able to call on two players who are well used to finding the net against Athletic: Cristiano Ronaldo, who averages a goal a game against the Basques, and Karim Benzema, who has been on target three times in the side's last two away fixtures against Athletic.Aduriz already has 12 goals to his name Despite the quality within their ranks, Athletic aren't currently going through their best spell. They come into the game after being knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Formentera and are sitting down in 16th spot ahead of this round of fixtures. Aritz Aduriz, who has 12 goals to his name (seven in the Europa League and five in LaLiga), tops the goalscoring charts for José Ángel Ziganda's side.Zidane's pre match press conference:Zinedine Zidane has appeared in the press room at Real Madrid City prior to his side's clash with Athletic. The Whites' coach analysed what is set to be a demanding month in December: “We've got some great games coming up and we want to perform well. December is a crucial month and we can't wait to get going. We want to show what we're worth”.“We know we've got three or four big games coming up. There will be great some matches this month and we have to play at the level we know we can. We haven't been able to string together a good run of performances. I've got a very positive group and we know we can turn things around”.Ramos and the San Mamés clash“Sergio is fit for tomorrow because he's back with the group. We know it'll be a difficult game because we know the ground and the fans, but we're ready to put in a good performance. This week has been great. We're hungry to try and put in a performance. We always want more and we'll give it all we've got. It'll be a good game against a good team tomorrow”.“The fans will get behind their team, as always, that's how it is. I don't think they'll give their team a tough time when they're hosting Real Madrid. We know it'll be tough and we have to dig in and play good football”.“Bale hasn't got anything serious. It's just a bit of discomfort and we don't want to risk it. I couldn't tell you when he started to feel pain. He was feeling it in his calf, it's the way it is. He's got real power and he has to be fully fit to play. With it being in his calf, we really want to fix this problem. I'm always positive, although he's not having the best time right now, he'll come through it. We have to give him lots of support as he recovers. We can't forget that he's a key player for us and when he's fit, he's capable of unbelievable things. We have to be patient”.Bale's return“That depends on him. I hope it'll be next week. I believe in Bale, as does everyone else. It's a difficult situation and because he's an athlete and a particular type of player, he has to be 100% to play. There have been some games when he's not been right physically and we don't want to take the risk and have him out even longer. He's the first that wants to be back with us. He wants to play, win games and be with his teammates. It's nothing serious and I hope he's back with us soon. The most important thing is that he feels fit enough”.Does Cristiano Ronaldo deserve the Ballon d'Or?“It's not that he's inhuman, but he's something else. He's a player without limits and I'm sure he'll win his fifth Ballon d'Or. He's had an extraordinary season and he deserves it. It wouldn't surprise me if he wins it again because he always wants to improve and he's extremely ambitious. It'll be well deserved for the season he has had”.Kepa“I've always got the best here. Keylor is the best. I'm always focused on the players I have. Kepa is a great goalkeeper, but I'm happy with Keylor and Kiko. We'll have to see if anyone comes in. I've not asked for anything so far. We'll discuss things when the window opens. I'm not going to talk about players who may or may not come in in the future. That's not my problem for now, I just want to concentrate on the players I have and prepare for the upcoming games”.Source : realmadrid.comPre-Match Discussion:Feel free to discuss possible line-ups, tactics, and anything related to the upcoming game.
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