Athletic Bilbao 1-1 Real Madrid
Real Madrid had to settle for a draw in Bilbao tonight as Isco rescued a point after Athletic Bilbao had given the European champions a severe test.
Iker Muniain had given the hosts a deserved lead in the first half but the visitors came back strongly in the second.
La Liga Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid was billed as the game of the weekend, as Los Blancos tried to maintain their 100 per cent record and the Bilbao club aimed to wreck that hope. And the 46,000 fans which flocked to the San Mames Stadium saw a cracking game, and the vast majority will have gone home very happy.
Los Leones have aspirations of European football under new coach Eduardo Berizzo. And they showed they can live with the best, refusing to be overawed or bullied.
And as Barcelona came from behind to beat Real Sociedad earlier in the day, the pressure was on Los Blancos to keep up with the pace. But this was the toughest game yet for Julen Lopetegui’s men, and he won’t be too disappointed to leave Bilbao with a point.
Highlights of the game
Fans and pundits alike questioned Real Madrid’s chances of success after a difficult summer, losing their best player and coach. And it was clear from the off that they were in for a stern test in Bilbao.
Raul Garcia, Inaki Williams and Markel Susaeta all had good efforts in the first quarter of an hour as Athletic Bilbao came out on the front foot. And Real keeper Thibaut Courtois was called into action to save a shot from Yuri Berchiche after he had been put in by Garcia.
Marco Asensio tried to get Los Blancos going and brought a good save from Simon Mendibil as his shot headed towards the top corner. But when Bilbao went ahead on 32 minutes, it was no more than the home side deserved. Williams had his shot from close range blocked, but Iker Muniain managed to find the corner of the net with his effort from close range to send the San Mames crowd wild.
As the home side headed in at halftime with a lead, they were making a nonsense of the pre-match Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid odds at over 5.00 for a home win. Eduardo Berizzo’s team was full value for the 1-0 scoreline.
The second half began as a cagey affair, and Berizzo had his defence well-briefed as they first caught Marco Asensio and then Gareth Bale offside. Bale had a good chance on 63 minutes when Daniel Carvajal crossed but the Welshman shot over.
But it was a different story when Bale turned provider. He put a superb cross right on to the head of Isco who nodded into the bottom corner to make it 1-1.
That prompted an onslaught from Los Blancos, and Marcelo had a shot charged down before Bale blazed over again. Athletic Club were still right in the game, though, and Williams and Susaeta both tried their luck.
As the game swung from end to end, Real skipper Sergio Ramos fired a free-kick over the bar. But neither side could find a winner.
Key statistics
This was always going to be a good test of Real Madrid’s title aspirations and, though the SBOBET odds had the draw at 3.80, it was a fair reflection of the game.
After a testing first half, Los Blancos came back stronger in the second and had the better of the play by the end, with 60 per cent possession and a shot count of 16 to 12. Six of their shots were on target to Bilbao’s four, so, all in all, a draw was about right.
The home side put up a good fight, winning more defensive tackles and more aerial duels than their illustrious visitors, and San Mames will be a difficult place to come to this season.
The head-to-heads in Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid results now stand at 33 wins to 11 in favour of Los Blancos, but the last three clashes have all resulted in a draw.
What’s next?
There’s a great fixture to look forward to in the Champions League on Wednesday night when Real Madrid take on Serie A giants Roma in Group G. And then it’s back to La Liga with another big game against Espanyol at the Bernabeu.
Athletic Bilbao have an away fixture next Sunday to Real Betis, who sit in mid-table after a hard-fought 0-0 draw at Valencia this weekend.
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