Without their star striker Kylian Mbappé, who was both suspended and injured, Real Madrid had to dig deep to secure a hard-fought 1–0 win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday evening, during Matchday 32 of La Liga. Just four days after a painful Champions League exit at the hands of Arsenal, all eyes were on the Merengues to bounce back.
From the kickoff, Real Madrid took control of the game, but Bilbao’s solid defense held firm. Clear chances were rare in the first half. The first real threat came in the 37th minute when Federico Valverde’s header, following a Luka Modrić corner, was safely handled by Unai Simón. On the other end, Bilbao failed to register a single shot on target before halftime.
After the break, Real came out with renewed determination. Rodrygo hit the post, Camavinga was denied point-blank by Simón, and Valverde continued to test the defense with powerful efforts. Still, Bilbao’s goalkeeper remained unbeatable, pulling off a spectacular save from Jude Bellingham’s header in the 61st minute.
In the 80th minute, Vinícius thought he had broken the deadlock with a composed finish, but the goal was disallowed for an offside by Endrick during the build-up. Just when it seemed the match would end in frustration, Valverde stepped up in added time, unleashing a rocket that finally beat Simón (1–0, 90+3’).
With this dramatic win, Real Madrid moves to 69 points, staying within reach of league leaders FC Barcelona (73 points). Athletic Bilbao, now 4th with 57 points, faces increasing pressure in the race for a Champions League spot. The match proved once again Real’s fighting spirit—even in the absence of Mbappé.
