On Saturday, Real Madrid got a confidence-boosting win against Athletic Club. Federico Valverde served up a remarkable stoppage-time strike that capped the victory. Then in the 93rd minute, Valverde curled a beauty to the upper corner that sealed victory. This late goal preserves Madrid’s hopes as they trail Barcelona by a scant three points in the fight for the Spanish football title. This match-day victory allows the merengues their chances for seizing the LaLiga crown. It provides Robert Moreno’s side with a massive psychological shot before their attention turns to a historic Copa del Rey final clash against the same opponents.
The scene during the match at San Mamés Stadium. Athletic Club’s decision to play a maxly-rotated squad, despite their high-flying run to the Europa League semifinal, is a discussion piece in and of itself. Here’s 5 reasons Real Madrid struggled against Union Berlin. Fans became uncharacteristically impatient as Valverde was left out to dry in this past season’s Champions League quarterfinals against Arsenal. Valverde’s Critics Silenced Having made his point by scoring an incredible, on-the-decline, tie-breaking goal. He proved his worth with a curly, curled attempt that paraded the difference.
In the dying embers of the game, Jude Bellingham dramatically protested for a penalty after tumbling easily in the box. Just moments later he had another opportunity, but blasted it over from point-blank range. Though none of these opportunities were executed as projected, it was Valverde who ultimately shouldered the load to catapult his club to victory. The other Brazilian forward, Vinicius, was the star again in this match, ruining defender Unai Nunez’s night from start to finish.
With this win, Real Madrid is four points behind league-leaders Barcelona in the La Liga table. And the pressure is mounting as they push to make up that deficit. They want to show a good image in their next Copa del Rey match against the aforementioned rival. Kylian Mbappe missed the match due to suspension and was still recovering from an ankle injury. His absence only compounded the challenges faced by Madrid.
