Real Madrid are still reeling from their Champions League destruction by Arsenal but must immediately refocus when they face Athletic Bilbao on Sunday lest the La Liga title escape them too.
The high-flying Basque side visit a Santiago Bernabeu where the crowd is expected to unleash their anger after the Spanish champions’ bitter end to their European title defence.
Fans who fully believed in Madrid’s capacity for a comeback against Arsenal in the quarter-finals on Wednesday were left stunned as the English side won 2-1 on the night to progress 5-1 on aggregate.
Once the shock wears off it usually turns to fury, with Real Madrid’s stars braced for whistles and jeers at the weekend.
French superstar Kylian Mbappe will not have to face the noise after his red card last weekend left him suspended for the Athletic clash, and he also sustained an ankle issue against Arsenal.
On the other hand Vinicius Junior may come under fire despite scoring Madrid’s only goal in 180 minutes against Mikel Arteta’s side. The Brazilian has been far below his best this season as coach Carlo Ancelotti, whose future is far from certain at Madrid, has struggled to accommodate both him and Mbappe in the same side while maintaining any semblance of structure.
Despite Madrid’s disarray, they are only four points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona, who host Celta Vigo on Saturday.
Hansi Flick’s side suffered their first defeat of the year in midweek but still reached the Champions League semi-finals.
“There are three competitions that we have to be focussed on now, in La Liga, the final of the Copa del Rey and the Club World Cup,” said Ancelotti after the Arsenal defeat.
“I think we have to analyse what we can do better, La Liga is in play… so we have to move forward,” added goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. That might be easier said than done, though, although Mbappe’s absence gives Ancelotti the chance to revert to the set-up which worked for him last season, with Bellingham potentially playing in a central attacking role.
Energetic midfielder Eduardo Camavinga is also available after missing the Arsenal defeat through suspension.
Athletic, fourth, always enjoy the chance to put Madrid under the cosh, and could take advantage of Ancelotti’s side given their brittle state this season.
Los Blancos have lost 12 games across all competitions and are particularly vulnerable on the flanks, where dynamic winger Nico Williams can profit.
The Spain international netted as Athletic beat Rangers 2-0 on Thursday to reach the Europa League semi-finals.
Valverde’s side will be high on confidence for their visit to the capital and will try to keep their momentum going by piling on the misery for Madrid.Barcelona rested playmaker Pedri against Borussia Dortmund and fell to their first defeat of 2025. The Catalans will bring the Canary Islander back against Celta Vigo as they aim to consolidate their La Liga advantage.
Flick demands answers from La Liga for ‘joke’ schedule
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick on Friday demanded to meet with La Liga officials over what he called a “joke” schedule, saying Spanish football was failing to take care of players.
The Catalan giants’ La Liga game at Real Valladolid on Saturday, May 3 will kick off at 9:00 pm (1900 GMT) after being moved from an afternoon start on Sunday, May 4.
That rescheduling still gives them less than three days to prepare for the pivotal Champions League semi-final return leg at Inter Milan on May 6.
“I want to see this guy who’s responsible for that. For me it’s a joke,” Flick told a news conference on Friday.
“It’s unbelievable and we have no time to rest… the guys who are responsible for that, I want to discuss with them, because they have no idea how it is.”
The Champions League is one of three tournaments Barcelona are competing in, exacerbating challenges relating to fixture congestion that Flick is familiar with after a trophy-laden spell at Bayern Munich.
But the German manager said the situation facing his team before a huge European match left him “speechless”.
“I never had this before. Every league protects their clubs when they play in the Champions league, especially in the semi-final,” he said.
