(Getty)
Real Madrid look to stay unbeaten under manager Zidane when the squad hosts Bilbao at the Bernabeu. Madrid will be without Gareth Bale, who is still out with a calf injury. That normally means more action from Cristiano Ronaldo, but CR7 hasn’t been the difference maker this season. In fact, he hasn’t made much of a difference at all.
If you remove Ronaldo’s scoring from the record this season, Madrid would still have the same number of points in the league table. Of course that doesn’t account for Ronaldo’s assists or his general on-field presence, but it’s not a throwaway stat. Last season at this mark Madrid would be ten points worse without Ronaldo, and 14 points off in 2014.
Bale-less Madrid will take on Athletic today, who haven’t won at the Bernabeu in 11 years. Bilbao has risen to sixth in La Liga, but will be without suspended players Iñaki Williams and Mikel San José for today’s match.
Here are the basics:
DATE: February 13, 2016
CHANNEL: beIn Sports USA/FuboTV
KICKOFF TIME: 10:00 a.m. Eastern
LOCATION: Estadio Santiago Bernabéu
LIVE STREAM: Click here to live stream this match for free
THE LINEUPS
Real Madrid: Navas, Varane, Sergio Ramos, Ronaldo, Kroos, Benzema, James, Carvajal, Kovacic, Modric, Danilo
Athletic Bilbao: Iraizoz, De Marcos, Balenziaga, Laporte, Etxeita, Benat, Iturraspe, Eraso, Sabin Merino, Aduriz, Lekue
Find out how to watch this game in Spanish at AhoraMismo.com:
