It is a bruised and pressure Real Madrid that finds the Santiago Bernab\u00e9u this Sunday evening to face an Athletic Bilbao in full confidence. Eliminated without glory of the Champions League by Arsenal in the middle of the week (5-1 defeat on all two games), the Madrid must imperatively react in La Liga against Euphoric Basques after their qualification for the semi-finals of the Europa League. The atmosphere is heavy in the Spanish capital.<\/p>\n
Does Ancelotti play his place?<\/h2>\n
European elimination has left deep and intensified speculations around the future of Carlo Ancelotti. The defensive fragility displayed in recent weeks (12 goals taken in the last 6 home games) worried, as is the recent dynamics (only one victory in the last five games in all competitions). According to several sources, the Italian coach, already expected on the start at the end of the season, would even play his place this Sunday: a defeat against Bilbao could lead to his immediate dismissal, with an interim potentially ensured by Ra\u00fal or Solari. “We continue to compete for important titles,” <\/em>In Hart\u00e9 Ancelotti, trying to re -mobilize his troops, but the pressure is immense on the players to avoid this disaster scenario.<\/p>\n In this tense context, the reception of Bilbao is of capital importance, not only for the future of the coach but also for the title race. Second, distancing from seven points by Bar\u00e7a, the Merengues have no joker. They must “Blinder their cage”<\/em> And find a disappeared defensive solidity, while maintaining the championship course before the King Cup final at the end of April. Each match is now a “judgment” for this team.<\/p>\n Unlike its host, Athletic Bilbao surfs a positive wave. Brio brilliantly for the last square in the Europa League after dominating the Rangers, the men of Ernesto Valverde also have an excellent Liga season. Firmly installed in fourth place, with a comfortable margin on their pursuers for a qualification in the Champions League (facilitated by the 5 Spanish places next season), the Lions arrive in Bernab\u00e9u without complex.<\/p>\n With their 3-1 victory against Rayo Vallecano last weekend and their European success, the Basques will also remember that they beat Real Madrid in the first leg in San Mam\u00e9s (2-1) in December. With players in good shape like Nico Williams, Athletic has weapons to exploit the current flaws in Madrid defense and play a very bad trick on a giant with clay. Real will have to be wary of this “Great threat” <\/em>To avoid sinking a little more into the crisis.<\/p>\n Below, GOAL<\/strong> Offers everything you need to know to watch the match, including the TV channel, streaming details and more.<\/p>\n If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) to watch the matches using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN<\/strong><\/a>allows you to establish a secure connection online during streaming. If you are not sure which VPN use, see the guide GOAL<\/strong> On the best VPNs for sports streaming.<\/p>\n![\"Real](\"https:\/\/assets.goal.com\/images\/v3\/getty-2209056254\/GettyImages-2209056254.jpg?format=pjpg&auto=webp&width=3840&quality=60\"\/)
Getty Images Sport<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAthletic Bilbao, a visitor in great shape<\/h2>\n
On which channel to watch Real Madrid – Athletic Bilbao?<\/h2>\n
How to look at anywhere with VPN<\/h3>\n
![\"logo\"](\"https:\/\/eu-images.contentstack.com\/v3\/assets\/bltcc7a7ffd2fbf71f5\/blt3ce243ea115e700a\/65709e2139f29f040aa649f3\/Nord_VPN.png\")