The red-and-white perspective for tonight’s classic in San Mamés has changed after Athletic’s recent triumph against Betis. Marcelino’s troop morale has risen like foam and Real Madrid’s visit to Botxo, as a solo leader, also always provokes extra motivation both inside and outside the Bilbao dressing room. The lions aspire to close this intense and irregular 2021 with a victory against the meringues.
This clash, which is brought forward in the calendar since both clubs will compete in mid-January for the Spanish Super Cup, is set for 9:30 p.m. with Soto Grado, from the Riojano Committee, as referee and Mateu Lahoz, from the Valencian Committee, in the VAR. The appointment of San Mamés comes preceded by the numerous casualties that drag one and the other contender. COVID-19 has caused a good number of positives in both templates. Marcelino, in fact, will give the call today.
Athletic and Madrid see each other today in Madrid
Therefore, we will have to wait until the very last hour to know exactly what the intentions of the Asturian coach and Ancelotti are at the roster level. Athletic has a serve with the casualties of its internationals Unai Simón and Iñigo Martínez plus Ezkieta and Berenguer due to coronavirus and Vivian, Yuri, Villalibre and Nolaskoain due to injury.
The chapter of absences in the merengue table is also quite broad. Alaba was the last to join a list of casualties made up of Modric, Marcelo, Asensio, Rodrygo, Bale, Lunin and Isco due to coronavirus and Carvajal and Ceballos due to physical problems. Ancelotti, at such a juncture, comes to Bilbao with seven players from the white team on the bench: goalkeepers Fuidas and Piñeiro plus Marín, Miguel Gutiérrez, Blanco, Peter and Arribas.
Too bad at the Bernabéu
Athletic and Real Madrid already saw each other this month at the Bernabéu. A solitary goal by Benzemana then allowed the whites to keep the three points after a match in which the rojiblancos made more than enough merits to draw and even win. Courtois and the lack of aim deprived Marcelino’s men from finishing with a result more in line with their merits.
We have to wait, therefore, to see how this last classic of the year is finally presented. Classic marked by the high incidence of COVID and the preventive measures to be adopted by the health authorities in order to stop the new wave. In San Mamés, in principle, the more than 50,000 spectators that make up the stadium’s capacity will be able to meet.