Athletic Club vs Real Madrid Preview: Prediction, Team News, Lineups
12th-placed Athletic Club (13-6-19) travel to Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid to face 2nd-placed Real Madrid (27-5-6) on Saturday, May 23, 2026. Real Madrid come into this in strong form (WWLWD) while Athletic Club are in poor form (DLLWL).
When and Where to Watch
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, May 23, 2026 |
| Kickoff (US Eastern) | 3:00 PM ET |
| Kickoff (UK) | 8:00 pm BST |
| Venue | Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid |
| Competition | La Liga |
| Free Stream | DAMITV |
Form Guide (Last 5)
Real Madrid — WWLWD
| Result | Score | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| W | 1-0 | Sevilla |
| W | 2-0 | Real Oviedo |
| L | 2-0 | Barcelona |
| W | 2-0 | Espanyol |
| D | 1-1 | Real Betis |
Athletic Club — DLLWL
| Result | Score | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| D | 1-1 | Celta Vigo |
| L | 2-0 | Espanyol |
| L | 1-0 | Valencia |
| W | 4-2 | Alavés |
| L | 3-2 | Atlético Madrid |
Real Madrid have won 3, drawn 1 and lost 1 of their last 5 matches. Their most recent result was a 1-0 win over Sevilla. That is a strong sequence of results that will give them confidence heading into this one.
Athletic Club have picked up 1 win, 1 draw and 3 defeats in their last 5 outings. They come into this off the back of a 1-1 draw against Celta Vigo. They have been struggling to pick up points and will need a significant improvement in this one.
On the balance of recent form, Real Madrid hold a clear advantage. They have been picking up results at a much higher rate and will feel that momentum is firmly on their side heading into this matchup.
Key Players
Real Madrid
| Category | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|
| Total Shots | Kylian Mbappé | 5 |
Athletic Club
| Category | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|
| Total Shots | Gorka Guruzeta | 4 |
| Saves | Álex Padilla | 4 |
La Liga Standings Context
| # | Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barcelona | 38 | 31 | 1 | 6 | +59 | 94 |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 38 | 27 | 5 | 6 | +42 | 86 |
| 3 | Villarreal | 37 | 21 | 6 | 10 | +22 | 69 |
| 4 | Atlético Madrid | 37 | 21 | 6 | 10 | +22 | 69 |
| ... | |||||||
| 10 | Real Sociedad | 38 | 11 | 13 | 14 | -2 | 46 |
| 11 | Espanyol | 38 | 12 | 10 | 16 | -12 | 46 |
| 12 | Athletic Club | 38 | 13 | 6 | 19 | -15 | 45 |
| 13 | Sevilla | 38 | 12 | 7 | 19 | -14 | 43 |
| 14 | Alavés | 38 | 11 | 10 | 17 | -12 | 43 |
Real Madrid sit 10 places above Athletic Club in the table. Athletic Club will need to punch above their weight to get something from this game.
Season Stats Comparison
| Real Madrid | Stat | Athletic Club |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | fouls Committed | 20 |
| 2 | yellow Cards | 0 |
| 0 | red Cards | 0 |
| 7 | offsides | 2 |
| 2 | won Corners | 1 |
| 0 | saves | 4 |
| 73.8 | possession Pct | 26.2 |
| 13 | total Shots | 8 |
| 8 | Shots on Target | 2 |
| 0.6 | shot Pct | 0.3 |
| 0 | penalty Kick Goals | 0 |
| 0 | penalty Kick Shots | 0 |
| 675 | accurate Passes | 176 |
| 745 | total Passes | 254 |
| 0.9 | pass Pct | 0.7 |
| 0 | accurate Crosses | 6 |
| 5 | total Crosses | 12 |
| 0.0 | cross Pct | 0.5 |
| 41 | total Long Balls | 47 |
| 28 | accurate Long Balls | 12 |
| 0.7 | longball Pct | 0.3 |
| 0 | blocked Shots | 1 |
| 0 | effective Tackles | 5 |
| 2 | total Tackles | 8 |
| 0.0 | tackle Pct | 0.6 |
| 7 | interceptions | 13 |
| 7 | effective Clearance | 17 |
| 7 | total Clearance | 17 |
Betting Odds
| Market | Odds (DraftKings) |
|---|---|
| Real Madrid (ML) | -185 |
| Athletic Club (ML) | 425 |
| Spread | RMA -1.5 |
| Over/Under | 3.5 |
The bookmakers have Real Madrid as the clear favorite at -185, with Athletic Club the big underdog at 425. The over/under is set at 3.5 goals.
Prediction
For our full prediction on Athletic Club vs Real Madrid including predicted score, win probabilities, and detailed AI analysis, head to the DAMITV Predictions page. Our prediction engine factors in current form, league position, head-to-head record, and home advantage to generate match forecasts with confidence ratings.
How to Watch Athletic vs Real Madrid Free
Watch Athletic Club vs Real Madrid live on DAMITV for free in HD. No cable, no account, no fees. Open the site at 3:00 PM ET / 8:00 pm UK time, find the match, and start streaming. Works on phone, tablet, laptop, and smart TV.