Atletico Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao: prediction, head-to-head stats and probable lineups — 25.04.2026
One of the headline clashes of Saturday's La Liga action takes place at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, where Atletico host Athletic Bilbao. The home side are desperate to halt a prolonged slump ahead of their Champions League semi-final, while the Basques are fighting hard to secure a European spot.
Match preview
Atletico approach this fixture in a state of alarm: Diego Simeone's side have lost seven of their last eight matches across all competitions, including the Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad. In La Liga, the Madrid side have suffered four straight defeats, with a midweek loss to Elche (2-3) the latest blow.
Despite this, Atletico still cling to a top-four spot with a solid cushion over Betis, but the mood inside the camp ahead of the Champions League semi-final with Arsenal is far from ideal. However, at the Metropolitano, Atletico transform: 13 wins in 16 home games and 66% of their goals scored there (35 out of 53), but right now, psychological recovery is more crucial than the stats.
Athletic, meanwhile, beat Osasuna 1-0 last time out to keep their European ambitions alive. Ernesto Valverde’s men are ninth in the table, but trail sixth place by just three points, so motivation will not be an issue for the Basques.
The visitors’ main problem is their away form: only three wins in 15 La Liga road trips this season. However, recent head-to-heads with Atletico have gone rather well for Athletic: the Basques have won four of the last seven meetings in all competitions.
Probable lineups
- Atletico Madrid: Oblak, Molina, Pubill, Lenglet, Ruggeri, Koke, Llorente, Simeone, Griezmann, Gonzalez, Alvarez.
- Athletic Bilbao: Simon, Gorosabel, Vivian, Paredes, Berchiche, Ruiz de Galarreta, Rego, Inaki Williams, Sancet, Nico Williams, Guruzeta.
Match facts and head-to-head
- Atletico have lost their last four La Liga matches.
- Athletic won the first meeting of the season against Atletico, 1-0.
- The Basques have claimed victory in four of the last seven head-to-heads in all competitions.
The Colchoneros have won 12 of the last 14 La Liga meetings in Madrid against Athletic.
Simeone’s team have scored in the first half in six straight league games.
- Athletic haven’t won a league match in Madrid for 15 years.
Prediction
Atletico are under pressure to respond to their disastrous run, but the looming Champions League semi-final is clearly on their minds. Athletic are organized enough to exploit the hosts’ nerves, though their poor away record makes it hard to expect outright dominance.
