Real Madrid travel to the new San Mames stadium on Wednesday night as they look to continue their impressive start to the La Liga season against hosts Athletic Bilbao.
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Los Meringues had been playing in form lately as they are undefeated in their last six games, including a friendly and a recent Champions League match versus Ukrainian club Shak Donetsk.
Madrid have been dealt with a blow given that key centre-back Sergio Ramos has been ruled out after dislocating his shoulder against Shakhtar last week, meaning that Pepe could continue in defence alongside Raphael Varane.
There were reports that the Spaniard was keen to play against Bilbao on Wednesday, but coach Rafael Benitez has confirmed that he will have to sit out the clash as he is still undergoing the healing process. “It is a game that could allow us to grow in confidence”.
However, Benitez is not taking anything for granted and has reminded his charges that they lost last season in the corresponding fixture and should play with extra intensity to evade the same fate this term. “I know we have Real coming up, but we need to win“.
Real Madrid takes on Athletic Bilbao in arguably the team’s biggest challenge yet. He also landed a red card there a few seasons back.
A trip to San Mames is famed as one of the most hard in La Liga and the Basque side are in good shape, with Aritz Aduriz and Raul Garcia posing a serious aerial threat.
Cristiano Ronaldo is just two goals short of breaking Raul’s club record of 323 goals and one goal short of a personal milestone of 500 career goals.
The Basque outfit sent eyebrows skyward when they decimated FC Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup.
Athletic, meanwhile, will have been buoyed by the success Granada had against Madrid on Saturday when pressing high to deny space and time from Benitez’s men.
This team is going to ask questions of Madrid that no team has yet to ask.
But if there is any consolation, Ronaldo is yet to score in the new San Mames stadium.
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Real Madrid: Keylor; Carvajal, Pepe, Varane, Marcelo; Kroos, Modric, Vazquez, Isco, Ronaldo; Benzema.
