Real Madrid midfielder Isco. (Photo : Getty Images)
Powerhouse team Real Madrid CF (5-0-3, 18 points) will look to remain undefeated in the 2016-2017 La Liga season as they host contending squad Athletic Bilbao (5-3-0, 15 points) at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 23.
Start Time and Streaming Info
The game starts at 2:45 p.m. ET. It can be viewed live online thru FuboTV.
Despite being tied on points with league leaders and cross-city rivals Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid is settled at the second spot of the overall standings as Atleti has the superior goal difference over the Bernabéu giants.
Los Blancos have snapped their three consecutive drawn matches with a lopsided win over Real Betis, 6-1, last Saturday on the road at the Estadio Benito Villamarín, as per Goal.
Spanish midfielder Isco was the star man for head coach Zinedine Zidane's squad as he netted a brace to lead Real's scorers during the match.
Real, who is presently injury-plagued with Luka Modric, Casemiro and team captain Sergio Ramos all sidelined with separate injuries, opened the scoring in the fourth minute with a high-leaping header from a free-kick by Toni Kroos.
Kroos handed his second assist of the game to setup Karim Benzema to a calm goal in the 31st minute, doubling the visitors' lead.
Marcelo added another one in the 39th and Isco scored his first right at the stroke of halftime to give Real an almost insurmountable 4-0 advantage at the break.
Betis midfielder Alvaro Cejudo scored one for the hosts in the 55th, but Isco hit his second and Cristiano Ronaldo sealed the game in the 78th to give the win and three points to the capital city club.
Meanwhile, Athletic Bilbao pulled off a 3-2 win over Real Sociedad on Sunday at the San Mamés Stadium, ESPN reported.
Sociedad midfielder David Zurutuza scored the lone goal of the first half in the 16th, but Los Leones countered with three straight second half goals, courtesy of Iker Muniain, Aritz Aduriz, and Iñaki Williams in the 51st, 60th, and 72nd minutes respectively, to turn the game around and take a 3-1 lead.
Txuriurdin scored again with a goal from defender Iñigo Martínez in the 83rd to trim the gap to just one point, but Bilbao prevented them from finding the equalizer for the rest of the match.
Prediction and Predicted Lineup
The predicted result is a 3-0 rout for Real Madrid.
Real Madrid starting lineup (4-3-3 formation): Navas; Carvajal, Pepe, Varane, Marcelo; Kovacic, Kroos, Isco; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo
Athletic Bilbao starting lineup (4-2-3-1 formation): Iraizoz; de Marcos, Alvarez, Laporte, Lekue; San Jose, Iturraspe; Williams, Garcia, Muniain; Aduriz
