Kylian Mbappe delivered an outstanding performance, scoring twice and creating another as Real Madrid defeated Athletic Bilbao 3-0 on Wednesday, narrowing Barcelona’s La Liga advantage back to a single point.
Xabi Alonso’s squad halted a sequence of three straight away league stalemates with one of their most convincing showings of the campaign at San Mames.
Mbappe struck the opener early after Trent Alexander-Arnold registered his first La Liga assist, and Eduardo Camavinga headed in the second before halftime.
The French forward later smashed in another after the restart, marking his 16th league goal of the season and securing Madrid’s triumph.
Alonso told journalists that, “I think the team played a complete game today, concentrating for the whole 90 minutes… it was probably the best match we’ve had, at a difficult place to go, at a big moment, and we took it on calmly and now we must continue.”
Reflecting on the previous weekend’s draw against Girona, he added, “After (last weekend’s) draw at Girona we knew it was a big moment, and after getting it out of our system we’ll start thinking about Sunday’s match against Celta (Vigo).
“The calendar is very demanding and you can’t think for too long about things, in the good moments and the bad ones.”
Madrid, however, faced setbacks as both Alexander-Arnold and Camavinga appeared to pick up injuries in the second half, forcing their substitutions.
Mbappe previously missed a penalty in this fixture last winter while still adapting to life at Madrid, calling that period his “rock bottom.” This time, Athletic encountered a player performing at an elite level.
Alonso praised him again, saying, “Kylian’s in great form, he scored two great goals today, with the movement he had, the connection with Vini (Vinicius Junior) was very good, and the team came out to play from the first minute, to win the game.”
Madrid started strongly, with Mbappe nearly giving them the lead in the fourth minute before Unai Simon produced a sharp save at his near post, and then reacted well to stop a Vinicius attempt.
Their early pressure paid off in the seventh minute through a superb Mbappe finish after Alexander-Arnold located him with an excellent long pass. The forward drifted into space and delivered a precise strike past Simon.
Athletic managed a few moments of threat, with Gorka Guruzeta firing over and forcing Thibaut Courtois into a solid stop, while another opportunity involving Nico Williams and Alex Berenguer ended with the goalkeeper making an exceptional save.
Madrid refocused quickly and regained control, with Vinicius threatening multiple times as his interplay with Mbappe continued to flourish. The Brazilian struck the outside of the post from a difficult angle and was later denied one-on-one by Simon after Eder Militao sent him through.
Madrid extended their advantage before halftime through a superb collective move. Mbappe headed Alexander-Arnold’s cross back into the six-yard area, allowing Camavinga to nod in from close range.
Courtois tipped over a powerful strike from Mikel Jauregizar early in the second period as Athletic tried to gain momentum, but Madrid maintained authority.
A worrying moment arrived when Alexander-Arnold limped off with what appeared to be a muscular problem, leading to Raul Asencio’s introduction.
Mbappe soon removed all doubt with another long-range strike that flew into the near corner for his 25th goal in all competitions. Though well-hit, Simon may feel he could have done more to prevent it.
Later on, Camavinga was also withdrawn with an apparent injury, creating further concern for Alonso, who nonetheless enjoyed a near-perfect evening in the Basque region against a former rival club.
Vinicius even gave his coach a warm embrace when being substituted, despite their recent tensions.
Athletic defender Inigo Lekue admitted afterward, “They were stronger than us,” adding, “We tried to play our game and couldn’t, no matter what we did.”
What you should know
This match highlighted Kylian Mbappe’s growing influence at Real Madrid, as he produced two goals and an assist while showcasing a fluid partnership with Vinicius Junior.
Xabi Alonso’s team delivered one of their most complete displays of the season, responding effectively after recent away frustrations. While the 3-0 victory helped keep the pressure on Barcelona, Madrid also suffered potential injury setbacks with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Eduardo Camavinga exiting the game hurt.
The win further demonstrated Madrid’s attacking sharpness and defensive resilience at San Mames, reaffirming their title ambitions as the season intensifies.
