In a thrilling showdown at the Bernabeu, Real Madrid clinched a 1-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao with a superb late strike by Federico Valverde. After a challenging midweek exit from the UEFA Champions League against Arsenal, the team bounced back and edged closer to La Liga leaders Barcelona.
With just three minutes added to the game, Valverde pounced on a poor clearance to fire an unstoppable volley into the far top corner, igniting the stadium and fans alike. ⚽😱
The match was filled with tense moments: an early chance from Jude Bellingham was saved brilliantly by Athletic's Unai Simon, and a promising effort from Vinicius Jr. was disallowed by VAR for an Endrick offside in the buildup. Despite a disciplined display from a heavily rotated Athletic side, the breakthrough from Real proved decisive.
Real's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois highlighted the brilliance of the moment, saying, "Fede has a very unusual shot, a very good one," a testament to the midfielder’s natural flair which he often displays during training.
With the win boosting Real Madrid to 69 points and widening the gap in the title race, every match now carries extra weight. In other action that day, Osasuna edged Real Valladolid 3-2, Villarreal and Real Sociedad played out a 2-2 draw, while Sevilla and Alaves shared points with a 1-1 result.
Stay tuned for more pulse-raising La Liga action as the season heats up! ⚽🔥
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
