First Half Stalemate
Real Madrid’s recent woes deepened on Tuesday as they suffered a 2-1 defeat against Athletic Club Bilbao at San Mamés. This loss marks their fourth in the last seven games across all competitions, raising serious concerns about the team’s form and title aspirations
Highlights
The game began with Athletic Club taking control, putting Real Madrid on the defensive for most of the first half. The stalemate was finally interrupted in the 53rd minute when Alex Berenguer scored from a short distance, putting Athletic ahead. Real Madrid had a great chance to level the score when they received a penalty, but Kylian Mbappé’s lackluster shot was effortlessly saved by Julen Agirrezabala.
This miss was significant, highlighting a concerning pattern for the French forward, who had also been unsuccessful with his penalty attempt in last week’s Champions League defeat to Liverpool.
In the 78th minute, Jude Bellingham equalized for Madrid, giving them a brief sense of hope. Unfortunately, just a minute later, Federico Valverde’s error led to Gorka Guruzeta scoring the decisive goal for Athletic Club, quickly extinguishing their excitement.
Impact on La Liga Standings
This loss has major consequences for Real Madrid’s pursuit of the championship. They are currently four points behind the top team, Barcelona, although they do have one game in hand. Meanwhile, Athletic Club has strengthened their position, holding fourth place with 29 points.
Mbappé’s Struggles
Kylian Mbappé’s performance has faced significant criticism after this match. The French star, who joined Real Madrid with high hopes, has been having difficulty regaining his top form. His missed penalty against Athletic Club reflects his ongoing challenges at the team, as he has netted just 10 goals in 21 matches in all competitions. French media has expressed significant criticism of Mbappé’s choice to join Real Madrid, with some analysts implying that he erred in departing from Paris Saint-Germain. There is increasing pressure on the forward to validate his high-profile move and recapture the form that established him as one of the most coveted players in the world.
Looking Ahead
Real Madrid is entering a tough phase with important games ahead. Their next matches consist of away games against Girona and Atalanta, as well as home games against Rayo Vallecano, the Club World Cup final, and Sevilla. The club’s management anticipates that they will secure at least five victories in these matches to end the year positively. Carlo Ancelotti’s role as manager is being closely examined, as there are reports of discord within the locker room and dissatisfaction with his tactical choices and handling of players. The Italian coach must swiftly identify solutions to improve the team’s performance and maintain their chances of winning the title.
As Real Madrid faces this challenging time, everyone will be watching to see how they react to this recent adversity. The next few weeks will be vital in assessing their ability to turn around their recent struggles and make a strong push for the La Liga championship.
