Real Madrid find themselves at a critical juncture as they prepare to embark on a La Liga journey to Athletic Club on December 4. The title race in La Liga is heating up, and Barcelona's recent setbacks have presented Los Blancos with an opportunity to intensify the pressure on their Clasico rivals.

Champions' Morale Boost and the Squeeze on Barcelona

Carlo Ancelotti's team secured a 2-0 victory over Getafe, narrowing the gap to just one point from the Catalans at the top of the table. This result has given the champions a significant morale boost as they head to the Basque Country. A positive outcome in Bilbao could truly put the squeeze on Barcelona. In fact, if Barcelona fails to beat Mallorca on Tuesday, Madrid could potentially ascend to the top of the table this week.

Latest Team News and Predicted Lineups

Athletic Club entered this game following a 2-1 win away to Rayo Vallecano in their latest La Liga encounter. They are also delighted by the return of Benat Prados from a one-game ban. Their predicted lineup (4-3-3, right to left) is as follows: Agirrezabala (GK) — De Marcos, Vivian, Yeray, Lekue — Ruiz de Galaretta, Prados, Sancet — N. Williams, Djalo, I. Williams.Injured: Herrera. Suspended: None.Real Madrid arrived in Bilbao with a genuine chance to end 2024 as La Liga leaders. However, they are without some key stars. David Alaba, Eder Militao, and Dani Carvajal remain long-term injury absentees. Eduardo Camavinga and Vinicius Junior are not expected to return to action until mid-December. But midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni is back in contention after a sprained ankle and could start for the visitors. Their predicted lineup (4-3-3, right to left) is: Courtois (GK) — Vazquez, Asencio, Rudiger, Mendy — Modric, Valverde, Ceballos — Rodrygo, Mbappe, Guler.Injured: Alaba (knee), Militao (knee), Carvajal (knee), Vinicius Jr (thigh), Camavinga (hamstring). Suspended: None.

How to Watch the La Liga Match

Here's how to catch this La Liga match across selected areas of the world's major regions. Stay tuned to find out the specific details of the live stream and TV channel.