MADRID (Interstat) — Real Madrid hosts Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, May 23, in a La Liga match that pits a surging home side against a visiting team struggling to find consistency.

Real Madrid enters the weekend on a strong run, having won four of its last five matches. The most recent, a 1-0 victory at Sevilla on May 17, followed a 2-0 win over Real Oviedo on May 14. The lone blemish in that stretch was a 2-0 defeat at Barcelona on May 10. Madrid’s overall season form has been solid, with wins in nine of its past 12 games, though it has occasionally stumbled — including a 2-1 loss at Mallorca on April 4 and a 2-1 defeat at Osasuna on Feb. 21.

Athletic Bilbao arrives after a 1-1 home draw with Celta Vigo on May 17. That result snapped a two-game losing streak: a 2-0 loss at Espanyol on May 13 and a 1-0 defeat at home to Valencia on May 10. Before that, Bilbao earned a 4-2 win at Deportivo Alaves on May 2 and a 1-0 victory over Osasuna on April 21. However, the team has been unpredictable — losing five of its past eight matches, including defeats to Villarreal, Getafe, Girona and Barcelona.

The head-to-head history between the clubs is evenly split in their two most recent meetings. Real Madrid won 3-0 at Athletic on Dec. 3, 2025, while Bilbao countered with a 1-0 home victory on Oct. 18, 2025.

A key storyline will be Real Madrid’s home advantage at the Santiago Bernabéu. The club has been strong on its own turf this season, and Bilbao has struggled on the road, winning only twice in its last six away matches.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, the projected final score is Real Madrid 2, Athletic Bilbao 1.

The match kicks off at a time to be determined. Both teams will be looking to close the season strong — Real Madrid aiming to maintain momentum, and Athletic Bilbao hoping to reverse a recent slide.