Atletico Madrid vs. Athletic Club preview, h2h, team news: Lookman-less Atleti host Bilbao

<p><strong>Atletico Madrid face Athletic Club on Saturday, April 25, at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in matchday 34 of La Liga, <a href=”https://www.afrik-foot.com/en-ng/”>Afrik-Foot</a> reports. </strong></p>

<p>The hosts are enduring the worst stretch of the Diego Simeone era with four consecutive league defeats, on top of their Copa del Rey final loss to Real Sociedad on penalties on April 18. Five setbacks in six matches across all competitions have left the dressing room searching for answers just days before the Champions League semi-final first leg against Arsenal, scheduled for next Wednesday.</p>

<p>Athletic Club arrive in calmer water, although well below their own pre-season expectations. Ernesto Valverde’s side occupy 11th place with 41 points, in a campaign marked by European fatigue, recurrent injuries and a leaky back line. Their 1-0 home win over Osasuna last Tuesday ended a poor run and nudged the Basques closer to sixth spot.</p>

<p>Valverde, who confirmed his departure at the end of the season on March 20, may still hand the club a European farewell if results swing his way in the remaining matches.</p>

<h2 class=”wp-block-heading”>Atletico Madrid vs. Athletic Club: Match preview</h2>

<p>The Metropolitano has stopped being a sanctuary for Simeone’s team in the closing stretch. The 3-2 loss to Elche in Alicante, four days after the cup heartbreak in Seville, was a fourth straight defeat in La Liga. The Argentine coach made 10 changes from the cup final side, saw Thiago Almada sent off in the 30th minute and watched Nico Gonzalez score twice without changing the outcome. The sense of physical and mental exhaustion is clear.</p>

<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full”><img decoding=”async” width=”960″ height=”1200″ src=”https://www.afrik-foot.com/en-ng/thumbor/nJ_GeHfu_Im89TBmDjfidVnO9Sc=/960×1200/smart/filters:format(webp)/https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.afrik-foot.com%2Fen-ng%2F2026%2F04%2F20260415_100531.jpg” alt=”Ademola Lookman with Atletico Madrid lineup” class=”wp-image-911806″/><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Ademola Lookman with Atletico Madrid lineup. (Credit: Club x)</figcaption></figure>

<p>Even so, the bigger picture remains reassuring. Atletico sit fourth with 57 points, eight clear of Real Betis in fifth. A Champions League place for next season is all but secure, which eases the immediate pressure and opens the door to rotation ahead of the European meeting with Arsenal.</p>

<p>The league data shows the Rojiblancos still boast one of the better goal differences outside the top three. They have scored 53 and conceded 35 in 32 matches, with 17 wins, six draws and nine defeats. The recent problem is defensive: the team has conceded in eight of their last 10 matches across all competitions.</p>

<p>Athletic travel with 41 points from 12 wins, five draws and 15 defeats in 32 games. Tuesday’s narrow victory over Osasuna, sealed by a Gorka Guruzeta goal in the 16th minute, was only their second league win in seven outings. The Basques have lost to Barcelona, Girona, Getafe and Villarreal in recent weeks, explaining the six-point gap to sixth place.</p>

<p>The wider context adds to the sense of frustration in Bilbao. After finishing fourth last season and returning to the Champions League for the first time in 11 years, the Lions went out in the league phase with just four points from eight matchdays, including a symbolic defeat to Sporting on the final matchday. They also fell to Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey semi-finals. Five league games remain to chase a seventh-place finish and close the Valverde era on a high.</p>

<h2 class=”wp-block-heading”>Atletico Madrid vs. Athletic Club: Head-to-head record</h2>

<p>In the reverse fixture on December 6, 2025, Athletic edged a 1-0 win at San Mames. Alex Berenguer struck in the 85th minute after Nico Williams laid the ball across the edge of the area on the counter. </p>

<p>It was the Basques’ first La Liga win over the Colchoneros since December 2023, ending a run of four straight defeats in the head-to-head. The match also marked Koke Resurreccion’s 500th league appearance for Atletico, making him the seventh player in history to reach that milestone with a single La Liga club.</p>

<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full”><img decoding=”async” width=”4000″ height=”2667″ src=”https://www.afrik-foot.com/en-ng/thumbor/Nm0RCeyNTMBggHfWwwaUfdxdRxw=/4000×2667/smart/filters:format(webp)/https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.afrik-foot.com%2Fen-ng%2F2026%2F03%2Fimago1074810460.jpg” alt=”Ademola Lookman of Atletico Madrid celebrates with his teammates” class=”wp-image-909008″/><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”> Ademola Lookman of Atletico Madrid celebrates with his teammates Copyright: ImagoxCesarxCebollax/xPRESSINPHOTOx</figcaption></figure>

<p>The overall record, however, favours the hosts. Atletico have won 29 of the last 53 meetings between the clubs, with Athletic claiming 17 wins and seven matches ending level. In 2024/25, Simeone’s side completed a 1-0 double over the Basques, with Julian Alvarez scoring the winner in each game. On Madrid soil, Athletic have not won a La Liga fixture since January 2011, a 13-match run as visitors that they will try to end with their opponents wobbling.</p>

<h2 class=”wp-block-heading”>Atletico Madrid team news, injuries and doubts</h2>

<p>The Atletico medical room remains crowded. Ademola Lookman is sidelined with the adductor injury sustained in the Copa del Rey final, with the Super Eagles forward expected to miss at least a week. Alexander Sorloth is also out with a knock and is likely to return only for the Arsenal tie. Jose Gimenez has been unavailable with a muscle injury since April 7, while Thiago Almada serves an automatic suspension following his red card in midweek.</p>

<p>David Hancko is still managing an ankle issue and is a doubt, as is Alex Baena after being withdrawn against Barcelona in the Champions League. Pablo Barrios has returned and should feature more prominently. Simeone is expected to prioritise rest for his regulars ahead of the Arsenal semi-final, paving the way for Giuliano Simeone, Barrios, Nico Gonzalez and other fringe players to step up.</p>

<p>At Athletic, the situation worsened on Tuesday evening. Aymeric Laporte came off in the second half against Osasuna after feeling muscle tightness, in the same area that kept him out for two months following the December trip to Madrid. Yuri Berchiche also left the pitch with breathing difficulties and is a doubt. Benat Prados has been out since September with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, while Unai Egiluz and Maroan Sannadi complete the long-term list.</p>

<p>Yeray Alvarez returned to the team against Osasuna after serving a 10-month doping suspension and is expected to partner Dani Vivian at centre-back. Adama Boiro is in line to start at left-back if Berchiche does not recover in time. Up front, Nico Williams, Oihan Sancet, Inaki Williams and Guruzeta make up the regular attacking quartet.</p>

<p><strong>Atletico Madrid probable line-up (4-4-2):</strong> Jan Oblak; Nahuel Molina, Robin Le Normand, Clement Lenglet, Matteo Ruggeri; Giuliano Simeone, Pablo Barrios, Koke, Nico Gonzalez; Julian Alvarez, Antoine Griezmann.</p>

<p><strong>Athletic Club probable line-up (4-2-3-1): </strong>Unai Simon; Jesus Areso, Dani Vivian, Yeray Alvarez, Adama Boiro; Mikel Jauregizar, Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta; Inaki Williams, Oihan Sancet, Nico Williams; Gorka Guruzeta.</p>

<h2 class=”wp-block-heading”>Star players watch</h2>

<h2 class=”wp-block-heading”>The managers: Simeone vs. Valverde</h2>

<p>Diego Simeone is facing the toughest spell of his Atletico reign. After lifting the Spanish Super Cup in January, the Argentine has watched his squad buckle under the weight of the triple-competition calendar, chronic injuries and debated tactical choices. The team has lost four league matches in a row and surrendered the Copa del Rey final to Real Sociedad on penalties. His contract runs until 2027, but the closing weeks demand a respectable finish to calm the mood in the capital.</p>

<p>Ernesto Valverde is closing his third stint at Athletic after officially announcing his departure on March 20, with 10 rounds still to play. The 62-year-old is completing his tenth season in charge across three spells (2003 to 2005, 2013 to 2017 and 2022 to 2026), and now ranks as the club’s longest-serving manager in history with more than 495 matches on the bench. Under him the Basques have won the Spanish Super Cup in 2015/16 and the Copa del Rey in 2023/24, ending a 40-year wait for domestic silverware. His farewell tour still has the Madrid clash plus four closing league fixtures.</p>

<h2 class=”wp-block-heading”>Tactical preview</h2>

<p>Without a fully fit midfield and with a congested schedule, Simeone is likely to return to the pragmatic 4-4-2 that has underpinned his team over recent years. The plan involves compacting the block, ceding possession at key moments and springing Alvarez and Griezmann in transition. The pair have formed the most functional combination in attack this season, with natural chemistry and movement.</p>

<p>Athletic stick with the 4-2-3-1 that Valverde has bedded in. Nico Williams on the left is the main threat to attack the space behind the opposition right-back, precisely the zone where Molina tends to push forward. Sancet roams between the lines looking for the runs of Guruzeta and Inaki Williams behind the back four. Their high pressing worked in Bilbao, and the extra incentive of facing a wounded opponent makes the approach even more appealing.</p>

<p>The data flags defensive vulnerability for the hosts. Atletico have conceded 12 goals across their four recent La Liga defeats, an average of three per game, well outside the club’s historical standards. Transitional defence has been the main problem, particularly after losing possession in advanced areas, exactly what Valverde will aim to exploit with Nico Williams running in behind.</p>

<p>The visitors’ weak spot sits in a patched-up defence. Without Laporte and Berchiche, Yeray Alvarez returns after 10 months out following his doping suspension, while Boiro is set to slot in at left-back with little recent rhythm. Giuliano Simeone on the right has the tools to target Boiro, and set pieces should reinforce the home side’s edge. Meetings between these two have tended to produce low-scoring affairs, but the peculiar circumstances around this fixture suggest that pattern will break.</p>

<h2 class=”wp-block-heading”>Betting tips</h2>

<div style=”background:#f4f4f4;border-left:4px solid #00BA25;padding:18px 20px;border-radius:6px;margin:20px 0;font-family:Inter,Arial,sans-serif;”>
<p style=”margin:0 0 12px 0;font-size:13px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:1.2px;color:#666;text-transform:uppercase;”>💡 Main Tip</p>
<p style=”margin:0 0 8px 0;font-size:18px;font-weight:700;color:#1a1a1a;”>Both Teams to Score: Yes</p>
<p style=”margin:0 0 14px 0;font-size:14px;color:#444;line-height:1.6;”>Odds around 1.75 with the leading bookmakers. Atletico have conceded in eight of their last 10 matches across all competitions and lost key defensive options in midweek. Athletic have scored in five of their last seven league outings and consistently create chances on the road through Nico Williams, Sancet and Guruzeta. The combination of a shaky home defence, layered motivation and the visitors’ reasonable attacking form adds up to a solid BTTS call.</p>
<p style=”margin:14px 0 8px 0;font-size:13px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:1.2px;color:#666;text-transform:uppercase;”>Other value picks</p>
<p style=”margin:0 0 6px 0;font-size:14px;color:#444;line-height:1.6;”><strong>Over 2.5 Goals</strong> at 1.85: each of Atletico’s four recent La Liga defeats has produced three or more goals, a trend that mirrors the current weaknesses in Simeone’s side.</p>
<p style=”margin:0 0 6px 0;font-size:14px;color:#444;line-height:1.6;”><strong>Athletic Double Chance (Draw or Win)</strong> at 2.20: the Basques won the reverse fixture and are facing a side likely to rotate heavily with the Arsenal semi-final just four days away.</p>
<p style=”margin:0;font-size:14px;color:#444;line-height:1.6;”><strong>Julian Alvarez Anytime Scorer</strong> at 2.00: the Argentine has eight La Liga goals, scored twice against Athletic last season and remains the reliable attacking reference at a time when Simeone is short up front.</p>
</div>

<h2 class=”wp-block-heading”>Score prediction</h2>

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