Gary Lineker called this match one of the utmost greatest matches in Spanish history! At the legendary San A Sostenes hones the colors of the Athletic club as they played host to Real Madrid. This was amongst the greatest anticipated matches in the La Liga calendar between these two giants. Undoubtedly, there was a festive atmosphere with the supporters able to have reasonable expectations given that both teams had invested greatly as they sought to achieve over successes in the season. The supporters knew that it would be an interesting affair and they had their expectations met as the two teams ran onto the field.
Build Up Before the Match
It is worth noting that Madrid and Athletic Club arrived for this match in confidence. Athletic had just come off a terrific triumph and with their ruthlessly flashy brand of football, they embody a scoring culture that gives them an edge whenever they are on the attack. Madrid on the other hand is always a very fierce fox that has a wily sage at the helm. They began the 2022/23 season with some relatively powerful commanding. With such matches between these two teams always bearing added weight, there was plenty of drama as both clubs sought to impose themselves to one of the most heated rivalries in Spain league.
The First Half: A Cautious Clash
The Bilbao fans filled Los Leones’ den with the hungry noise, which made the life of the guests pretty miserable, thus the battle hostilities commenced at San Mames stadium and with some flair, that the Basques possessed the ball on an aggressive offensive minded Heavy Pressure system designed to cut Real Madrid’s defensive formations However, in the tenth minute, calmness in their approach and quality of passing allowed them to break through one of Athletics’ lines to create the first real goal scoring opportunity of the match.
Given how well they contained the ball within their area in the opening quarter Real Madrid which dominated the center of the pitch registered positive possession stats. Their star striker Karim Benzema appeared unbothered as he kept creating chances and combining with Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior. Instead, Athletic relied on the pace and strength of Iñaki Williams who was quick on his feet to always hide in wait to attack Madrid.
In the 22nd minute, Vinícius Júnior made a brilliant run and broke through the Athletic defense, but was fouled just outside the area, marking the first breakthrough. The whistle blew, and Madrid was awarded a penalty kick with the referee again pointing to the spot. They took a lead of 1 – 0 as Karim Benzema scored after converting a penalty kick, putting the opposing goalie the other way. The goal highlighted how Madrid’s finishing was of the highest quality combined with the fact that their opponents made very few mistakes.
But after conceding, Athletic went on the offensive and the rest of the first period turned into an arms race for headroom. They were too eager to press further up the pitch into Madrid’s territory but Real him had stayed active with counter attacks. Jude Bellingham came close to scoring a second for Madrid when he was thwarted by a brilliant save from Unai Simón, Athletic’s midfielder, in the 38th minute.
Athletic’s Response and Late Controversy in the Second Half
Alianza Fútbol Corpus moved forward in a bid to restore parity and the second period commenced with even more bite. In the fifty-seventh minute, Athletic’s boldness earned a goal when IÑAKI WILLIAMS rounded Thibaut Courtois after expertly receiving a well-timed pass from Mikel Vesga and outmaneuvering defenders. The score became 1:1, and the crowd in the stadium stood on their feet.
With a need to respond back, Real Madrid rounded up their attack, however, with Iñigo Martínez at the helm of the backline, Athletic’s backline defended brilliantly. However, it was hard to deny the attacking threat of Madrid and ten minutes later, Jude Bellingham was on the score sheet. Bellingham chased a cross from Dani Carvajal deep into the penalty area and buried a powerful header to restore Madrid’s 2-1 lead.
The last minutes of the game saw a lot of drama. Athletic was relentless in looking for a leveler but met a brick wall in the Real Madrid backline. Vinícius Júnior almost snatched the win for Madrid on a counter-attack but Simón was able to thwart him. Athletic never got restless for scoring when the referee added five minutes for stoppages, but they failed to get the score line ticking again, despite their best efforts.
Athletic Club 1-2 Real Madrid, the score.
With this, he maintained the lead and managed to score two while conceding one. A vital match win away from home for the team, who picked up crucial three points. The hard-earned win against one of their toughest rivals should boost their morale and this result further assures them of their sitting at the top of the La Liga table.
Conclusion
This thrilling encounter between Athletic Club and Real Madrid had all the ingredients of La Liga’s trademark: drama, talent, and some patience. As much as both teams were competitive, it was the quality of Real Madrid and their clinical nature, which turned out to be the ultimate difference. The Athletic Club should also take pride in their fightback but Madrid was victorious due to their ability to handle pressure. Both the teams would certainly be strong contenders for the La Liga titles as the season progresses
if you are interested for more: “Unstoppable Battle: Athletic Club vs Real Madrid – Full Match Breakdown, Brilliant Goals, Key Stats & Highlights | LaLiga 2024/25” “Southampton vs Chelsea: Score, Goals, Stats, and Highlights | Premier League 2024/25”