The evening of October 5, at Madrid's Bernabéu Stadium.
In the seventh round of La Liga, Real Madrid hosted Athletic Bilbao.
This was the final match of the round. Before it, Atletico Madrid had lost 1–3 away to Valencia, while Barcelona had beaten Rayo Vallecano 2–0 away from home. This finally gave Real Madrid a chance to turn things around.
After two defeats at the start of the season, Real Madrid had remained low in the standings. They currently sat only sixth, two points behind fourth-place Atletico Madrid. But if they could defeat Athletic Bilbao in this match, Real Madrid would undoubtedly make a comeback and break into the top four.
Yang Yang had been in spectacular form lately, and he was once again entrusted with an important role in this match, earning a starting spot.
Ancelotti once again adjusted the team's tactics, continuing to use a 4-4-2 Formation against Athletic Bilbao.
Courtois was in goal. The back four consisted of Marcelo, Javi Martínez, Ramos, and Carvajal. The midfield was made up of Hazard, Toni Kroos, Modrić, and James Rodríguez, while Yang Yang and Suarez formed the strike partnership.
Both the defense and midfield were the areas Real Madrid rotated most heavily. Ancelotti's main concern was the team's congested schedule. They played almost two matches every week, and without rotation, even ironmen would be unable to cope.
There was one exception, however: James Rodríguez.
The Colombian player's performances had been steadily improving throughout the season.
He had arrived at Real Madrid for the astronomical fee of eighty million euros, but at first, the fans had not accepted him. Real Madrid did not have a position for an attacking midfielder, while he had excelled in that role at the World Cup.
After joining Real Madrid, Ancelotti adjusted his position, using him