Key Highlights:
- Athletic Club Triumph: Gorka Guruzeta’s late strike seals victory for the hosts.
- Mbappé’s Penalty Woes Continue: The French star misses his second spot-kick in three games.
- La Liga Title Race Tightens: Madrid now trails Barcelona by four points, albeit with a game in hand.
Match Recap
Real Madrid suffered a frustrating evening at San Mamés as they fell 2-1 to Athletic Club. Despite fielding a strong lineup, Los Blancos struggled to impose themselves on the match, particularly in the first half, where Kylian Mbappé’s disallowed goal was the only notable moment for the visitors.
Athletic Club broke the deadlock early in the second half. A parried cross by Thibaut Courtois bounced off Alex Berenguer and trickled into the net, giving the hosts a deserved lead. Mbappé’s penalty struggles continued shortly after, with Julen Agirrezabala making a comfortable save.
Jude Bellingham restored hope for Real Madrid with a well-taken equalizer, reacting quickest to Mbappé’s saved effort. However, Madrid’s celebrations were short-lived as Gorka Guruzeta capitalized on a mistake by Federico Valverde to secure the win for Athletic Club just a minute later.
Player Ratings
Athletic Club (4-2-3-1):
- Inaki Williams (7.5): Worked tirelessly upfront and caused problems for Madrid’s defense.
- Alex Berenguer (7.3): Scored the opener and was a constant threat on the wing.
- Daniel Vivian (7.5): Marshaled the defense with composure and discipline.
- Julen Agirrezabala (7.4): Made crucial saves, including stopping Mbappé’s penalty.
- Gorka Guruzeta (6.9): Came off the bench to score the decisive goal.
Real Madrid (4-3-1-2):
- Jude Bellingham (8.0): Madrid’s standout performer, scoring the equalizer and driving the attack.
- Rodrygo (7.2): Showed good movement and linked play well.
- Antonio Rüdiger (7.1): Solid defensively, winning key duels.
- Kylian Mbappé (6.8): Missed a crucial penalty and lacked his usual clinical touch.
- Thibaut Courtois (5.7): A shaky performance, particularly for Athletic’s first goal.
The defeat leaves Real Madrid four points behind Barcelona in the La Liga title race, with their margin for error narrowing. Kylian Mbappé’s penalty woes are becoming a concern as Madrid’s struggles in front of goal persist. Athletic Club, meanwhile, delivered a spirited performance, reigniting their European qualification hopes.
Real Madrid will look to bounce back in their next La Liga fixture against Real Sociedad. Athletic Club, buoyed by this victory, will aim to build momentum as they travel to face Villarreal.
SOURCE: 90min.com
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