Bilbao is Real Madrid’s next stop on the comeback trail. Juande Ramos and his men visit San Mames and an Athletic Bilbao side ecstatic since reaching the Copa del Rey final. The Whites can reduce the lead to three points in this duel between two of Spain’s most historic teams.

Juande Ramos has several notable absences for the crucial encounter at La Catedral, namely Fabio Cannavaro, Guti and Javi Garcia. Pepe and Wesley Sneijder can return to action after serving one match suspensions for accumulating five yellow cards; the same fate suffered by Fernando Gago and Michel Salgado, who will sit Saturday’s match out. The Madridista expedition includes a total of 20 players, all of whom are eager to extend the team’s almost three-month long unbeaten streak in La Liga.

Athletic are a happy side these days. Despite sitting eleventh in the table after falling 2-0 at the Camp Nou last weekend, Los Leones recently eliminated Sevilla to clinch their first appearance in a Copa del Rey final in 24 years. Joaquin Caparros’ game plan for the Madridistas is to maintain the same spirit that carried them to the grand finale of the Copa: direct football, commitment and a large dose of Fernando Llorente. The international striker has improved drastically over the course of the season and is the leading scorer for Bilbao.

While Llorente represents the greatest threat on behalf of tonight’s hosts, Real Madrid also have a star in the making to keep an eye on. Huntelaar has started the last four La Liga matches and scored the same number of goals.

Athletic haven’t been able to handle the Madridistas at home in the last three seasons, so the goal tonight is to extend the streak and bring home another three points from Basque country.

SQUAD LIST

Goalkeepers: Casillas, Dudek
Defenders: Pepe, Ramos, Heinze, Marcelo, Metzelder, Torres
Midfielders: Lass, Sneijder, Robben, Parejo, Faubert, Van der Vaart
Forwards: Raul, Saviola, Higuain, Huntelaar