Bilbao 2:1 Real Madrid
In a season filled with ups and downs, Real Madrid faced another setback today, losing 2-1 to Athletic Bilbao at their home ground. With this defeat, they missed a golden opportunity to close the points gap with Barcelona.
Had Real won today, they would have been just 1 point behind Barcelona with a game in hand. Winning that extra match would have put them at the top of the table without any calculations. But the loss to Bilbao means Real remains at 33 points from 15 matches, while league leaders Barcelona are on 37 points. This defeat keeps the title race firmly in Barça’s control.
Despite dominating possession from the start, Real struggled to create chances. Shockingly, they didn’t register a single shot on target in the first half. However, Bilbao also failed to capitalize, and the half ended goalless.
After the break, both teams pushed hard for a goal. Bilbao struck first through Alejandro Remiro. Real had a chance to equalize when Mbappé stepped up for a penalty, but he missed, squandering a crucial opportunity. Jude Bellingham, in great form lately, found the net in the 78th minute to give Real hope, but it was short-lived. Just two minutes later, Gorka Guruzeta scored for Bilbao, sealing the match. Real couldn’t recover after that blow.
Vinícius Jr., still out with an injury, was unavailable, leaving the attacking responsibilities to Rodrygo, Kylian Mbappé, and Bellingham. But even their efforts weren’t enough, with Mbappé’s penalty miss standing out as a key moment. In the end, Carlo Ancelotti’s team left the field empty-handed.
