December 4, 2024, 9:39 PM
December 4, 2024, 9:39 PM
Athletic Club reinforced its candidacy to be in the next Champions League by defeating Real Madrid in San Mamés in a match in which Alex Berenguer and Gorka Guruzeta twice ahead of the Bilbao team, Jude Bellingham tied the first and Kilyan Mbappé once again had a black night and he missed a penalty that was stopped by Julen Agirrezabala.
It was a 2-1 that rewarded the intensity and local dominance and punished the poor performance of the white team, who saw Barcelona slip away from them again in the standings. Now four points, although with one less game played by Real Madrid.
Athletic, which has its fourth consecutive victory in ten days, its third in the League, strengthens its fourth place. In which they are three points ahead of a Villarreal team that visits ‘La Catedral’ on Sunday, and that has played two fewer games than Athletic.
Valverde surprised at the start with unexpected rotations in a clash of the entity of tonight, especially due to the substitution of the full-backs Oscar de Marcos and Yuri Berchiche, the center midfielder Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta and the center forward Gorka Guruzeta.
Ancelotti, for his part, decided to maintain the lineup that beat Getafe, although returning Tchouaméni to the eleven for Brahim Díaz, making the team more defensive.
The Italian coach, by the way, met his compatriot, and rival in his playing days, Giuseppe Bergomi, whom he gave a hug after the neroazzuri received the ‘One Club Man’ award.
The clash started with Athletic determined to keep the ball in Madrid’s field and Madrid waiting for a counterattack with which to accelerate.
In this situation the ‘lions’ made several dangerous attacks against Courtois, who had to intervene in a shot by Nico that also managed to prevent it from reaching Iñaki. Several more crosses from the sides, especially from the right, worried the visitors somewhat.
Although the play that caused the most talk was one in which Mbappé ended up scoring. But, after consulting with the VAR, which included Figueroa Vázquez, Sánchez Martínez understood that there was an offside. In that play, however, there were two moments of possible offside and two falls in the area, by Rodrygo and Mbappé.
It was the 13th minute and the match resumed in the same dynamic, in which Athletic enjoyed its best chance of the first half. A high shot from the edge of the Berenguer area, after receiving from Iñaki Williams, to whom Jauregizar had leaked a good ball.
Another more dangerous arrival from the eldest Williams and a few final minutes with the ball from Real Madrid gave way to half-time.
Things didn’t change either upon returning to the locker room, although with the red and white team once again dominating, they opened the scoring in the 53rd minute.
A closed cross from the left on foot changed from Iñaki that did not clear the defense, Sancet did not finish either and Berenguer found himself in the goal mouth to overwhelm Courtois with three touches who could only respond to the first.
Real Madrid was able to respond quickly, but it is clear that Mbappé is not at his best. Because he finished off a fatal shot with many options, after a pass from Rodrygo, which ended up bitten and tame in the hands of Agirrezabala,
Nico also did not take advantage of his opportunity in a solo match in which he neither progressed nor contacted his older brother.
Mbappé had another chance in a penalty from Agirrezabala to Rudiger, who was hit in the head by the local goalkeeper when trying to clear a header from the German center back onto the crossbar. Mbappé opted to secure by tricking Julen, but the goalkeeper won the game. It is the second time that the Frenchman has missed two penalties in a row, after the one he missed in Liverpool.
With Ancelotti’s changes came the white siege and, shortly, the 1-1. A goal from Bellingham after Agirrezabala rejected a good long shot from Mbappé.
The game seemed to be turning for the white side and Rodrygo threatened to make it 1-2 with a cross shot well answered by Agirrezabala.
But what came was 2-1 on a ball that Guruzeta stole from Valverde and with which the local center forward finished perfectly against Courtois on his way out.
