Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid lineups at the start of the La Liga season

Real Madrid had a difficult preseason. The team lost against Juventus and FC Barcelona, also suffered injuries to midfielder Arda Güler and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Coach Carlo Ancelotti is concerned about the blows the club has received in recent days.

Thibaut Courtois' injury is a hard blow for Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti because this player is one of the best on the team. In every game he makes great saves and is a true leader.

"Today was not a good day for the dressing room. We suffered an injury to an important player, but these things happen. Now I wish to Courtois a speedy recovery, and then give Lunin all the confidence in the world", said Carlo Ancelotti at a press conference.

Real Madrid signs midfielder Jude Bellingham, forwards Joselú, Brahim Díaz and Arda Güler and defender Fran García for this season, and this is the last year of coach Carlo Ancelotti in the White House. The club is ready to face their first match in the Spanish league against Athletic Bilbao. The match will not be played at the Santiago Bernabeu, but the Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao is set to be played later in the season, likely next spring. Los Blancos are motivated to start of the season with the right mindset and start with a win as they go head to head with one of the strongest teams in La Liga. Real Madrid are motivated to win more trophies this season especially after the signings of Joselu, Brahim Diaz, Arda Guler, Fran Garcia, and Jude Bellingham. Real Madrid fans hope that these signings manage to help the team perform better than the previous one. One key player that left the club this summer is Karim Benzema, who decided to go play in Saudi Arabia to play for Al Ittihad. He did not want to extend his contract with Real Madrid despite having a great season with the team last season and the season before, which led to him winning the Ballon 'D Or.

Last season, Real Madrid was not able to defend their La Liga title, as they finished second in the 2022/2023 season. Los Blancos finished second with 78 points after 38 league matches played. Their record after 38 games was 24 wins, six draws, and eight losses. They finished 10 points below the La Liga champions, FC Barcelona, who won the league with 88 points. Their record after 38 matches played was 29 wins, four draws, and six defeats. Real Madrid were also not able to defend their Champions League trophy after being eliminated in the Champions League semifinals against Manchester City over two legs. In the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid drew 1-1 against Man City. In the second leg at the Etihad Stadium, Real Madrid suffered a tough 4-0 loss to Man City. They would go on to win the Champions League trophy for the first time in its history.

Real Madrid did manage to win a couple of trophies that they loved to win. Real Madrid won the FIFA Club World Cup by defeating Al Hilal 5-3 in the final. They also won the UEFA Super Cup in the summer as they defeated Frankfurt 2-0 in the final. They also won the Copa Del Rey, which is a trophy they have struggled to win for a long time. Real Madrid played against Osasuna in the Copa Del Rey final as they won 2-1 with two goals from Rodrygo. Real Madrid fans want the team to win the La liga title again and the Champions League trophy after the humiliating 4-0 loss to Man City in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal.

Fans are really excited about the signing of Jude Bellingham since he was a star player for Borussia Dortmund and could really help with midfield. Madrid fans also wanted Kylian Mbappé since Karim Benzema left, but the move couldn't happen. There was links of signing Harry Kane for the striker position but he signed for Bayern Munich.

The possible Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid lineups

Here are the predicted lineups for Athletic: Unai Simón; De Marcos, Vivian, Paredes, Lekue; Vesga, Galarreta, Muniain, Sancet; Nico Williams and Inaki Williams.

Real Madrid predicted starting lineup: Lunin; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Fran Garcia; Tchouaméni, Valverde, Camavinga; Bellingham, Rodrygo and Vinicius.