Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid Review
Athletic Bilbao is currently on a 10-match unbeaten streak in all competitions (7 wins, 3 draws), thanks to Gorka Guruzeta, who scored the winning goal against Real Madrid in a 2-1 victory at San Mamés. The hosts started strong, with Thibaut Courtois making an impressive save to stop Nico Williams just four minutes into the game. However, the most significant and contentious moment early on involved the defending champions. Referee José María Sánchez Martínez took the spotlight by ruling that Andoni Gorosabel’s challenge on Rodrygo in the penalty area was legal, and he also disallowed Kylian Mbappé’s goal from the same play for offside.
Álex Berenguer nearly scored just after the half-hour mark. Set up perfectly by Iñaki Williams’ backheel, Berenguer somehow shot high over the goal, leaving the home team still scoreless in the first half. However, they found success just eight minutes into the second half. Berenguer redeemed himself for his earlier miss by driving the ball in from just under the crossbar after N. Williams’ excellent cross created problems for Courtois.
As they sought to equalize, Real Madrid missed a golden chance to do so from the penalty spot in the 68th minute when Julen Agirrezabala accidentally punched Antonio Rüdiger in the back of the head to prevent him from reaching a set piece. In an impressive display, Athletic’s backup goalkeeper quickly redeemed himself by accurately predicting the direction of Mbappé’s penalty kick. It seemed that Mbappé’s streak of missed penalties would come to an end, but Agirrezabala couldn’t hold onto the French player’s long-range shot, allowing Jude Bellingham to score from the rebound.
However, Real Madrid’s momentum was disrupted when Federico Valverde lost possession, which Guruzeta took advantage of by scoring a beautifully executed goal to put Athletic back in the lead. This long-awaited victory in La Liga strengthens Ernesto Valverde’s team’s position in the top four, as the former Barcelona coach celebrates a win against his old club’s biggest rivals.
