Athletic Club 0-3 Real Madrid

Real Madrid got their first win in 4 La Liga matches with a 3-0 trouncing of Athletic Club at San Mames yesterday. Typically, Kylian Mbappe was at the centre of all that happened as he scored twice and assisted the third, scored by fellow French international, Eduardo Camavinga.

Los Blancos lined up in a 442 diamond, the formation that won them the Champions League two seasons ago. Aurelien Tchouameni, Fede Valverde, Jude Bellingham and goalscorer Camavinga were the 4 in midfield behind Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe. For Athletic Club, Gorka Guruzeta started up top and was flanked by Nico Williams and Alex Berenguer in a 433 setup.

From minute 1, there was a feeling in the air that Real Madrid came there to win and in the end, it was a decisive fixture that saw Real Madrid secure a comfortable 3-0 victory, ending their recent run of poor form. Madrid set the tone early, creating the first major chance in the 5th minute when Kylian Mbappé had a clear opportunity in the area, but his shot was saved by Athletic goalkeeper Unai Simón.

The early pressure paid off two minutes later. In the 7th minute, Kylian Mbappé scored the opener with a superb solo goal that started from near midfield. He raced away from multiple defenders and scored from the edge of the area, after a brilliant long pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Athletic Club attempted to respond, forcing the Madrid defense into mistakes. In the 25th minute, Real Madrid gave the ball away in a dangerous area, leading to a huge chance for Gorka Guruzeta, whose shot inside the box was saved by Thibaut Courtois, marking the first near miss for the home side.

Courtois was called into action again in the 30th minute, making a great save after a mix-up in the Madrid defense. Alex Berenguer was found, but Courtois saved his shot once more to deny the chance. Athletic Club then came close again in the 37th minute when a header from Guruzeta headed toward the top corner was saved by Thibaut Courtois.

In the 38th minute, Vinicius’ first touch after a great long pass from Militao was sharp, but his finishing was a let down as Unai Simón came out quickly with a strong intervention to deny him a clear opening, a crucial near miss for Madrid. Mbappe then had a minor moment of controversy in the 39th minute when he was judged to have committed a clear dive when trying to cut inside the box past a defender

Real Madrid found their second goal just before the break in the 42nd minute. Eduardo Camavinga doubled the lead with a header from close range. Trent Alexander-Arnold provided a cross, and an unselfish header from Mbappé set up Camavinga for the finish. The teams went into the break with Real Madrid comfortably ahead.

The second half brought immediate concern for Madrid, as they were forced into an early substitution in the 55th minute. Trent Alexander-Arnold had to be replaced after clearing a ball and feeling discomfort in his left leg. Raúl Asencio entered the game in his place.

The match’s intensity spilled over in the 57th minute, sparking a small brawl. After a whistle, Mbappé nutmegged Adama, who reacted by pushing Mbappé, sparking a small flare-up that involved Vinícius Júnior and others before calming down.

Madrid quickly refocused and found their third goal in the 59th minute. Kylian Mbappé scored his second goal of the match with a powerful, long-range shot to the right side of the opponent’s goal. The Athletic defenders failed to close down Mbappé before the 22-yard strike.

Madrid suffered a second injury setback in the 69th minute when Eduardo Camavinga had to be replaced due to an apparent injury. Arda Güler came on for him.

Athletic Club received the only card of the match in the 75th minute when Alejandro Rego was booked for pulling Álvaro Carreras’s shirt from behind. Athletic then made two substitutions in the 76th minute: Nico Serrano replaced Alex Berenguer, and Mikel Vesga replaced Aitor Jauregizar.

Real Madrid made a triple substitution in the 80th minute, clearly resting their key players with the three-goal lead. Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Éder Militão were all taken off. Brahim Díaz, Gonzalo García, and Rodrygo came on. .

Unai Simón made another save for Athletic in the 83rd minute, palming away a volley from outside the box by Federico Valverde. Athletic’s final opportunity came in the 85th minute, as Gorka Guruzeta shot from the edge of the box, sending his effort high and wide, a wayward shot. Simón made one last save in the 90th minute plus one, rushing off his line to collect the ball before substitute Arda Güler could reach an unselfish pass from Rodrygo. The match concluded in the 93rd minute with the final score Athletic Club 0-3 Real Madrid.