Athletic Bilbao claimed a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid, marking their first league win against the Madrid side since 2015. The defeat left Real Madrid four points behind Barcelona in the standings, while Athletic Bilbao climbed to fourth place. The dramatic match saw VAR interventions, missed opportunities, and costly errors.
Fede Valverde has played 279 games with Real Madrid and Athletic Club's second goal was the first time he had an error leading to goal.
Heartbreaking 💔 pic.twitter.com/bq9hM2G9oI
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 4, 2024
VAR disallowed a Real Madrid goal and denied them a penalty in the first half, keeping the scoreline level at 0-0 heading into the break. Athletic Bilbao took the lead in the 53rd minute with a goal from Alex Berenguer after a well-executed attack. Carlo Ancelotti’s side missed a golden chance to equalize shortly after when Kylian Mbappe failed to convert a penalty. Jude Bellingham brought Real Madrid back into the game in the 79th minute with a composed finish to make it 1-1. Athletic regained the lead in the very next minute when Federico Valverde’s defensive mistake allowed Gorka Guruzeta to score the decisive goal.
Fede Valverde’s error leading to Athletic Club’s second goal was the first such mistake in his 279 games with Real Madrid. The Uruguyan midfielder apologized for his error on social media, stating, “I take full responsibility for it.”
After missing 2nd penalty in the last 3 matches, Kylian Mbappe also reflected on his performance via Instagram, writing, “Bad result. A big mistake in a match where every detail counts. I take full responsibility for it. A difficult moment but it’s the best time to change this situation and show who I am.”