Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid Prediction: Back Second Half specialists Real to do it again

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With rumblings of discontent growing, there's already a degree of pressure building on Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso. That will only intensify if they slip up again in a tough fixture in Bilbao on Wednesday night. 

The assumption in the summer was that Alonso arrived in the strongest position of any recently appointed Real Madrid coach. He was backed heavily in the transfer market, and the expectation was that he'd be afforded more time than most to fully implement his ideas. 

However, patience has never been a hallmark of the Santiago Bernabéu, be it among the club's hierarchy or its supporters. A run of three straight league draws and little sense that the team is improving, has raised the first major doubts about the Basque coach. 

At present, Alonso's most significant issue seems to stem from within the dressing room itself. His poor relationship with Vinícius Júnior is already clear for all to see, with the Brazilian twice reacting angrily to being substituted. 

While far from ideal, that situation in itself was manageable from Alonso's perspective. A wider dressing-room split would be far harder for the ex-Bayer Leverkusen boss to survive, but that's exactly what he's now dealing with, if the latest media reports are to be believed. 

The latest setback came in the form of a 1-1 draw at Girona on Sunday. Against struggling opposition, Los Blancos failed to consistently threaten until the final 30 minutes, by which time they were already a goal down. They only salvaged a point thanks to a Kylian Mbappé penalty. 

It doesn't get any easier in midweek, as Real Madrid return to the scene of a 2-1 defeat last December. The only minor positive from a visiting perspective is that things haven't exactly been going well for Athletic Club this season either. 

Ernesto Valverde's side have looked a shadow of the team that finished fourth in La Liga and reached the Europa League semi-finals last term. They won their opening three fixtures, but it's just four victories and nine defeats in 16 matches in all competitions since then. 

Even San Mamés, which has been such a fortress for Athletic in recent years, has been the scene of defeats against the likes of Alavés and Getafe. They were humbled 4-0 by Barcelona at Camp Nou the weekend before last, but did bounce back with a better performance in a 2-0 victory at Levante on Saturday. 

There are various factors which have contributed to a decline in their fortunes. The many flaws in their squad have been laid bare by the demands of midweek Champions League football, with injuries to key players such as Iñaki Williams not helping either. 

Many of their best performers have also suffered from a loss of form. Nico Williams has blown hot and cold, while last season's top scorer Oihan Sancet has only netted once this term. Even goalkeeper Unai Simón has had some shaky moments, with the Spain number one at fault for two goals against Barça. 

Team News: 

Sancet, who saw red at Camp Nou, serves the second match of his suspension on Wednesday. Athletic are also missing Robert Navarro, Beñat Prados and Maroan Sannadi to injuries, while Iñaki Williams and Yuri Berchiche are rated doubtful. 

Those issues leave the hosts short on options in the final third. It could be a big night for 18-year-old Selton Sánchez, who is pushing for only his second start, while 22-year-old Nico Serrano could also feature. 

As for Real Madrid, they're doing better on the injury front than was the case a week ago, when they travelled to play Olympiacos without four centre-backs, as well as Thibaut Courtois and Dani Carvajal. 

Of those players, only Carvajal will definitely miss this game. However, Dean Huijsen and David Alaba are still rated doubtful. Trent Alexander-Arnold could be in line for another start, despite struggling to make much of an impression in three games over the past week.