Kylian Mbappe delivered a masterclass performance as Real Madrid defeated Athletic Bilbao 3-0 at San Mamés on Wednesday, cutting Barcelona’s La Liga lead to just one point.
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Mbappe opened the scoring early, assisted by Trent Alexander-Arnold, before Eduardo Camavinga doubled the lead with a header before halftime. In the second half, Mbappe struck again to seal his 16th league goal of the season, ensuring a convincing win for Los Blancos.
Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso praised the team’s display, calling it “probably the best match we’ve had, at a difficult place, at a big moment,” while also noting the team must quickly turn focus to their next fixture against Celta Vigo.
Despite the dominant performance, Madrid faced injury concerns, with Alexander-Arnold and Camavinga both forced off in the second half. Athletic had few clear chances, with goalkeeper Unai Simon and Courtois making key saves, but were ultimately unable to contain Mbappe and Vinicius Junior’s attacking connection.
The victory ends Madrid’s three-game away-draw streak and highlights Mbappe’s growing influence at the club, following a rocky start last season when he missed a penalty against Athletic.
Athletic defender Inigo Lekue admitted after the game, “We tried to play our game and couldn’t, no matter what we did.”
