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Real Madrid fans will be grateful that this season is finally coming to an end. It's undoubtedly been a year to forget for Los Blancos, with plenty of poor results on the pitch and a series of dressing room issues off it.
After perhaps taking on too much too early in his managerial career, Álvaro Arbeloa takes charge at the Bernabéu for the final time amidst rumours of José Mourinho's return. Dani Carvajal will bid farewell after a long and successful career as a Madrid player, while the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Jude Bellingham will be hoping to deliver a strong performance before heading off to this summer's World Cup. Los Merengues have improved their results during the run-in, winning three of their last four matches.
It hasn't been a season to remember for Athletic Bilbao either. Expectations were sky-high at the beginning of the season, as the Champions League anthem reverberated around the San Mamés for the first time in 11 years. However, their European campaign was disappointing, with eight points proving insufficient to reach the knockout stages of UEFA's most prestigious club competition. The Lions have struggled to string together a consistent set of results throughout the La Liga season, partially due to experiencing major problems in front of goal. Injuries to key players also haven't helped, particularly the ones Nico Williams has suffered in recent months.
Ernesto Valverde will also say goodbye to his club on Saturday, with Bilbao sitting in twelfth place and having little chance of qualifying for Europe after picking up just one point from their last three matches.
Predictions for Real Madrid v Athletic Bilbao
Real Madrid to win: 12/25 (bet365)
Kylian Mbappé to score: 4/7 (bet365)
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at the time of publication and subject to change.
The best possible farewell
Madrid have stepped up in the final stretch of the season. After being knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals by Bayern Munich, the team was left with nothing to play thanks to Barcelona's considerable lead at the summit of the La Liga table. Since then, Madrid have bounced back in the best way possible: by winning football matches. Los Blancos have beaten Espanyol, Real Oviedo, and Sevilla in recent weeks, but a desperately disappointing El Clásico defeat handed their greatest rivals the title.
Having recorded several clean sheets during the run-in, Real Madrid will be hoping to continue this trend at the weekend. Saturday's hosts haven't given their fans much to cheer about this year, so they'll be hoping to sign off at the Bernabéu in positive fashion.
The stats suggest a home win is likely. Real Madrid have lost just one of their last 20 league meetings with Bilbao, registering 14 wins and five draws in the process. Furthermore, the Lions haven't won a La Liga fixture at the Bernabéu since 2005.
Real Madrid to win: 12/25 (bet365)
Explanation: This bet will land if Real Madrid win the match.
One last chance to make amends
Even though he will likely conclude the campaign as La Liga's top scorer, there have been question marks over the commitment of Kylian Mbappé. The former PSG star has suffered from the team's collective failure, but perhaps more so due to his own personal conduct. Having enjoyed a mini-break in Sardinia while injured and apparently withdrew from El Clásico after learning he wouldn't be part of Arbeloa's starting XI, Mbappé has been criticised heavily by sections of the Real Madrid support.
However, you cannot fault his goals record. The Frenchman has netted 41 times in 43 appearances this term, just three goals less than last season's tally despite playing 16 fewer matches. Nevertheless, injuries have impacted Mbappé, who heads into this final matchday having failed to score in any of his last three outings. That’s why we believe the striker will do everything he can to find the net as he bids to keep ahead of Mallorca's Vedat Muriqi at the top of La Liga's goalscoring charts.
Kylian Mbappé to score: 4/7 (bet365)
Explanation: This bet will land if Kylian Mbappé scores at least once during the match.
Foot off the gas in the final stretch?
For the third and final prediction for this match, we’re focusing on the goals market. Although you would perhaps expect such a big clash to produce plenty of goals, recent stats suggest we may not see too much action in the final third. Only one of Real Madrid's last ten league fixtures have witnessed more than three goals, last month's 4-3 defeat to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. In fact, there hasn't been more than two goals in a Los Blancos fixture since late April.
Bilbao are on a similar run. A lack of goals has cost them dearly this term, having failed to score in 20 of their 51 matches across all competitions. That’s a telling statistic, as are the goal numbers in their recent games. Only two of Bilbao's last 15 matches have produced over three goals, a 3-2 defeat to Atlético Madrid and a 4-2 win over Alavés.
Explanation: This bet will land if no more than three goals are scored during the match, regardless of the final outcome.
Real Madrid v Athletic Bilbao – Match Result odds
Odds correct at the time of publication and subject to change.
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Odds correct at the time of publication and subject to change.