Madrid: Kylian Mbappe delivered a masterclass on Wednesday night, scoring twice as Real Madrid secured a dominant 3–0 victory over Athletic Bilbao, snapping their three-match winless streak in La Liga.
The win keeps Real Madrid firmly in second place with 36 points from 15 games, remaining just one point behind league leaders Barcelona.
Madrid looked sharp from the opening whistle, forcing Athletic goalkeeper Unai Simon into early saves after defensive errors gifted chances to Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. The breakthrough came in the 7th minute.
Receiving a long ball near midfield, Mbappe powered past two defenders and curled a spectacular effort into the top corner from outside the box — a signature finish from the French superstar.
The Mbappe-Vinicius partnership continued to torment Bilbao’s backline, although Madrid’s finishing lacked precision. Bilbao nearly took advantage when Gorka Guruzeta punished a misplaced pass from Federico Valverde, but Thibaut Courtois produced a brilliant reflex save to keep Madrid ahead.
Courtois followed it up with another fine stop to deny Alex Berenguer from close range.
Madrid doubled their lead before halftime after a composed spell of possession. Trent Alexander-Arnold sent a perfect cross to the far post, where Mbappe headed the ball across goal for Eduardo Camavinga to nod home from inside the six-yard box.
Courtois still had time to make another key save before the break, blocking Mikel Jauregizar’s powerful long-range strike.
The tempo slowed in the second half, but Mbappe remained decisive. In the 59th minute, noticing Simon slightly off his line, he curled another stunning shot into the net from distance — his 16th goal in 15 La Liga matches this season. He now has double the tally of Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski, who sits second in the scoring chart.
Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso praised his team’s response:
“It was an important match because we wanted to break the bad dynamic,” Alonso said. “The team played a very complete match — our most well-rounded performance so far, and in a very demanding stadium.”
The crucial win gives Madrid momentum heading into a busy stretch. They face Celta Vigo on Sunday before hosting Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabéu in a highly anticipated Champions League showdown on December 10.
