Athletic Club 2-1 Real Madrid: Kylian Mbappe misses another penalty as Los Blancos fall to shock La Liga defeat - Eurosport

Real Madrid lost important points in their quest for the Liga title as goals from Alex Berenguer and Gorka Guruzeta led Athletic Club to a memorable win at San Mames Stadium.

Berenguer put the home team in front shortly after halftime when Inaki Williams delivered a well-placed cross that cut through Real Madrid's defense. Berenguer was quick to pounce on the rebound from Thibaut Courtois' save, scoring the goal.

Real Madrid got a lifeline in the 67th minute when Julen Agirrezabala collided with Antonio Rudiger in the penalty area while trying to clear a free-kick taken by Rodrygo. Kylian Mbappe stepped up to take the penalty, but in a moment of atonement for Agirrezabala, the Athletic Club goalkeeper made a diving save to his left.

Real Madrid managed to level the score when Jude Bellingham seemed to save the day for the visitors, skillfully finishing off a rebound from a shot by Mbappe.

Not long after, a significant error led Real Madrid to lose all three points for the second time this season. Federico Valverde was stripped of the ball by substitute Gorka Guruzeta, who then calmly finished past Courtois in the 80th minute.

Following that, Athletic Club faces another challenging match against Villarreal on Sunday, December 8, before heading to Fenerbahce for their UEFA Europa League fixture. Meanwhile, Real Madrid will also be away as they prepare to play Girona this weekend, followed by a journey to Italy to compete against Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League.

Title Race Takes Another Exciting Turn

Just when it seemed that Real Madrid was starting to find their stride in the championship battle while Barcelona stumbled, the situation shifted again. Barcelona secured a strong 5-1 win over Mallorca, placing Real Madrid four points behind them in the standings, although they do have one game in hand compared to their opponents.

Carlo Ancelotti's team has faced significant challenges due to injuries to important players such as Vinicius Junior, Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, and Eder Militao. They appeared to be a shadow of the team fans are accustomed to, struggling to create scoring opportunities. Their only goal came from Bellingham, who managed to find the net almost by chance.

The home team earned their win, but it doesn’t benefit Real Madrid at all.

Match MVP: Alex Berenguer Of Athletic Club

While it may sound like a cliché to describe it as a team effort, Athletic Club truly earned their victory, and several players stood out. The Williams brothers created numerous challenges for the opposition and each deserved recognition for their contributions. However, the honor will go to the first player to score tonight. He missed an opportunity in the first half but ultimately found the back of the net and elevated the team's performance in the second half.

Athletic Club: Agirrezabala 6, Gorosabel 7, Vivian 7, Alvarez 7, Boiro 7, Jauregizar 7, Prados 7, I. Williams 8, Sancet 7, N. Williams 8, Berenguer 8. Substitutes: Guruzeta 7, de Galarreta 6, Berchiche 6, de Marcos 6, Gomez 6.

Real Madrid: Courtois - 6, Vazquez - 6, Asencio - 6, Rudiger - 6, Garcia - N/A, Valverde - 4, Tchouameni - 6, Ceballos - 5, Bellingham - 7, Rodrygo - 5, Mbappe - 5. Substitutes: Modric - 5, Guler - 5, Endrick - 5, Diaz - 6, Mendy - 6.

14' OFFSIDE! Mbappe believes he has scored after Rodrygo made a great run into the box and set him up. He had a clear shot at goal and struck it into the net, but the linesman raised the flag for offside.

16' VAR REVIEWING PENALTY SITUATION Although Mbappe's goal has been disallowed, there may be a penalty to consider after Andoni Gorosabel committed a foul on Rodrygo in the box. The referee has been instructed by VAR to review the footage at the monitor.

17' NO PENALTY After the referee reviewed the incident multiple times on the VAR screen, he decided against awarding a penalty, and play carries on.

32' WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY! A fantastic delivery into Real Madrid's penalty area finds Inaki Williams, who skillfully flicks the ball backward to Alex Berenguer. The Athletic Club forward only needs to get past Courtois, but he ends up sending the ball sailing over the crossbar from a short distance.

53' GOAL! ATHLETIC CLUB 1-0 REAL MADRID (BERENGUER 53') At last! A touch of genuine skill leads to pandemonium. Inaki Williams delivers a perfect cross into the penalty area, which goes over the heads of Real Madrid's defenders and finds Sancet, who can't quite make contact. Thibaut Courtois manages to deflect the ball, but Alex Berenguer is right there to finish it off.

67' PENALTY AWARDED TO REAL MADRID! It's a tough moment for Julen Agirrezabala, who collides with Antonio Rudiger while trying to clear Rodrygo's free-kick. Have they just given Real Madrid an opportunity to get back into the match? Who will step up to take this penalty?

68' PENALTY SAVED! Julen Agirrezabala makes a crucial save. Kylian Mbappe, the designated penalty taker for tonight’s match, approaches for the shot. However, his effort lacks strength. Agirrezabala anticipates the direction perfectly and dives to his left to deny the goal.

79' GOAL! ATHLETIC CLUB 1-1 REAL MADRID (BELLINGHAM 79') Just like that, Real Madrid equalize! Julen Agirrezabala does well to block Kylian Mbappe's long-range effort, but Jude Bellingham is right on the spot to send the rebound into the goal.

GOAL IN THE 80TH MINUTE! ATHLETIC CLUB 2-1 REAL MADRID (GURUZETA 80') Can you believe what just happened? After Real Madrid equalized, a critical error gives Athletic Club the advantage once more. Valverde hurries and loses the ball to Gorka Guruzeta, who runs towards Courtois and calmly finishes it into the net.

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