The Los Blancos have now recorded their best 14-game start to a La Liga season since 2016/17, a season that saw them win the title with the equal-most points (93) accumulated by any club across La Liga’s six previous seasons.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid have well and truly recovered after stumbling in late September-early October and have extended their lead at the top of La Liga to four points. They have now recorded their best 14-game start to a La Liga season since 2016/17, a season that saw them win the title with the equal-most points (93) accumulated by any club across La Liga’s six previous seasons. Carlo Ancelotti can now boast the most average points per game across all competitions (2.37) of any permanent Real Madrid manager since his previous stint in 2013-15. Scoring has been no issue for his players as their ten 2 goal hauls this La Liga season was an equal-best after the previous round. Yet surprisingly, their current four-game winning streak also doubles as the longest stretch of their La Liga campaign without a single clean sheet!
Athletic Club
Athletic Bilbao’s task was already going to be difficult enough defensively before Iñigo Martínez was sent off late at home to Granada (2-2) at the weekend, extending their winless La Liga run to five games. A plethora of league draws away from home, including at title challengers Real Sociedad and Atlético Madrid, has at least kept them within reach of UEFA competition. All but one of their seven La Liga away fixtures has seen the half-time result replicated at the final whistle, so if Athletic can find a way to lead at half-time after failing to do so in their previous six La Liga games, their could improve upon their unbeaten season-long La Liga record, as a pre-match underdog.
Real’s Karim Benzema has scored after half-time in three of his last four home meetings with Athletic in all competitions, whilst all three of Raul Garcia’s La Liga goals for Athletic this season have put his side 1-0 up. All seven of Athletic’s La Liga away outings have seen two or fewer total goals scored.