La Liga 2018/19: Real Madrid’s expected lineup vs Athletic Bilbao

TheSportsRush brings Real Madrid’s expected lineup vs Athletic Bilbao, as they attempt to overtake Barca at the top of the table.

Spanish giants, Real Madrid, have enjoyed a good start to the post Cristiano Ronaldo era in La Liga, winning all three games so far with convincing score-lines.

The Los Blancos will now lock horns with Athletic Bilbao, after a brief break due to international football. Julen Lopetegui will be hoping that his side could continue their good start to the domestic season, and carry it throughout the term.

Real Madrid also come on a 4-1 away demolition of Leganes at home, where Karim Benzema scored twice while Gareth Bale and Sergio Ramos also managed to get their name on the scoresheet. This comes as a positive sign for Real Madrid fans, who are overcoming the grief of losing Cristiano Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane in a single summer.

However, moving on, Julen Lopetegui will be aware of the strong strengths of Athletic Bilbao at home, and will be looking to overcome them to win the game.

TheSportsRush presents the predicted Real Madrid XI for the game against Athletic Bilbao, with the manager likely to start a 4-3-3 formation.

Defence:

Thibaut Courtois’ made his debut in Real Madrid colours at the Bernabeu against Leganes, but conceded a goal through the penalty spot. On the other hand, UEFA Best Keeper award winner, Keylor Navas, is also a strong candidate to start. However, considering Lopetegui’s recent trends, it is expected that Courtois might start in goal for the Los Merengues.

In defense will be the strong duo of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane, with the latter returning to full-strength after having won the World Cup with France. On the other hand, Marcelo and Dani Carvajal will be performing on the flanks, which are a crucial position in Lopetegui’s system.

Midfield

In midfield will be the much-trusted trio of Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, with Modric also returning to game fitness following a World Cup runner-up finish with Croatia. Isco will also be an option for Lopetegui, but considering the attacking depth Athletic Bilbao has, it is expected that the Spaniard might not be in the starting line-up.

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Forward

Marco Asensio, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale are tipped to be the front-line that Julen Lopetegui will persist with, since Bale also managed a stellar show in the international break with Wales. New number 7 Mariano and Lucas Vazquez might also have a role to play later on, but the attack will be more dependent on Bale and Benzema.

EXPECTED LINEUP: