Atlético de Madrid will aim to recover from their midweek loss to FC Barcelona with a challenging away fixture against Athletic Club in the Basque Country on Saturday. The match is scheduled for a 9 p.m. kickoff.
Currently holding a 9-4-2 record with 31 points, Atlético enters the match amidst a demanding December schedule that spans three competitions. This is the second of three consecutive away games for the club, which has found it difficult to secure results on the road this season. To remain in contention with league leaders Barcelona, Real Madrid, and third-place Villarreal, a strong performance is essential.
The team will be looking for a significant contribution from out-of-form striker Julián Alvarez, especially with Álex Baena sidelined for the foreseeable future due to a hamstring injury. With Baena unavailable, the creative and finishing responsibilities will fall heavily on Alvarez. Prospective replacement Thiago Almada may also see increased playing time despite a recent reduction in minutes.
In addition to Baena, Atlético is expected to be without right-back Marcos Llorente for the fourth consecutive game. Midfielder Johnny Cardoso is questionable after suffering a left knee contusion during the match against Barcelona.
Athletic Club, with a 6-2-7 record and 20 points, is also navigating a difficult run of fixtures. Ernesto Valverde’s side suffered a 3-0 home defeat to Real Madrid on Wednesday and will host Paris Saint-Germain next week. Having lost four of their last six LaLiga matches and won only four of their last 14 games overall, their season has been disappointing so far. The club entered the campaign with high expectations of securing a top-four finish, bolstered by Nico Williams signing a new 10-year contract, the return of Aymeric Laporte from Al-Nassr, and the signing of right-back Jesús Areso from Osasuna.
Possible Atlético XI: Oblak; Molina, Pubill, Hancko, Nico; Barrios, Gallagher, Almada, Giuliano; Griezmann, Alvarez.
Historically, Atlético de Madrid holds an 82-31-63 all-time record against Athletic Club in LaLiga. In their last 10 league meetings, Atlético has a 6-1-3 record. However, they have won just twice in their last seven visits to the Estadio San Mamés.
Due to a historically difficult relationship between the two clubs, only a few notable players have represented both sides, including Raúl García, Daniel Aranzubia, Txomin Nagore, and Santiago Ezquerro.
