Athletic Club and Real Madrid had a great time at San Mamès Stadium in what can be labelled as a wonderful La Liga clash as the two teams play each other on December 22, 2024. The match was thrilling, with both teams showing wonderful tactical play, a lot of action and real competition. Real Madrid came out victorious in the end registering the best score of 2-1 and proved they have the ability to handle pressures on the pitch in key moments.
This section looks at in detail the major objectives, stats of the match and events that caused a stir.
Match Highlights
Final Score: Athletic Club 1, Opponent 2 Real Madrid
Stadium: San Mames, Bilbao
Date: December 3, 2024
Attendance: 50,000 plus fans
The intensity on both teams’ performance levels meant both of them had come to fight it out making it the battle in the race for the La Liga title. Athletic Club, known for their high pressing and dominating the game at home, tried to unsettle Real Madrid while the visitors tried to retain their place at the top of the table.
Opening Phase: High Energy and an Early Goal
The fast pace of the game meant the first whistle had Real Club and Spanish and European giants Real Madrid in an engaging sports contest as it peaked during Real Madrid attempting to wrestle for control in the midfield area.
Key Features
Athletic Club From the Get Go: Slowing down the pace of the game was always going to be the case for Clubs like Athletic as they had such explosive wingers in Nico Williams and Iñaki Williams and they always went for the goal, grabbing every chance.
Maintaining their ground was Antonio Rudiger and the rest of the Real Madrid’s defense line to save the day for the them.
After going one goal down early in the match, Real Madrid responded the 18th minute of the match. Jude Bellingham’s counter against Athletic’s defense found Vinicius Jr., who managed to outsmart the opposition goalkeeper Unai Simon. Real Madrid’s technical edge was an excellent example of the kind of position they are in.
The home team kept on attacking and for their efforts got the equalizer in the 38th minute. Williams made a breakthrough on the right side and after making the cross, it was Sancet who was on the target by sending the ball into the net making the score 1 – 1.
Having started the game at a lower level, the fans at San Mamnes were full of voices as they tried to push their team over the edge and win the match for their team.
Now in the second half of the match, as expected it was Real Madrid who brought their game on and started dominating the opponent and the tempo of the match in general.
The last few terms were:
Centralized Midfield Control: Modric now controlled middle of the sided taking attention away from other advancing angles of Real Madrid’s play.
Go-ahead scored by rodrygo to give Real Madrid the lead again on the 68th minute offset.
Rodrygo profited from a defensive blunder as he lifted the ball into the upper corner from a few metres outside the 18. The Brazilian’s calmness and precision was a testament to his growing importance to the side.
Atletico’s late charge: In the last ten minutes of the game, Athletic threw everything in search of the equalizer. Substitute Gorka Guruzeta almost found the back of the net with a powerful header but Thibaut Courtois made a brilliant save and preserved Real Madrid’s lead.
Statistics and Analysis
Ball Possession: Athletic Club 48% – 52% Real Madrid
Attempts on Goal: Athletic Club Five or six Real Madrid
Corners: Athletic Club Three Real Madrid
Fouls Committed: Athletic Club 2 Real Madrid
Real Madrid’s ability to soak up pressure and make quick counterattacks was key, whereas Athletic’s work rate and perseverance only revealed some of their ability.
Outstanding Performances Vinícius Jr. (Real Madrid):
The Brazilian winger was a constant danger and he opened the scoring and created other chances with his pace and skill.
Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid): Jude Bellingham was vital in the transition from defence to attack due to his vision and hard work ethics thus, one of the most effective players on the pitch.
Nico Williams (Athletic Club): Nico plays the ball with strength that shows his capability to go through the strength fans of an opposing girl, and it is only a matter of time before he manages to go through the else.
Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid): This is true and it was a great deal that the goalkeeper was able to make a vital collection in the dying embers that had placed Real Madrid in and around capturing the whole three points.
Managerial Tactics Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid): Ancelotti’s changes, particularly bringing on Modrić, changed things during the match for Real Madrid. He did really well to opt for a deeper line in the last minute and that, of course, was key in sealing the win.
Ernesto Valverde (Athletic Club): This however did not last as the Real Madrid players made necessary changes in the second half. The team missing out on chances in the dying minutes was cost-effective.
Season Implications For Real Madrid: This victory further places Real Madrid in the top spot of the La Liga table clearly demonstrating that they are able to grind out results, even in difficult away matches.
Even though they lost, Athletic Club have hope with the way they played. Their aggression and offensive capabilities make them strong contenders to sicher qualify for Europe.
Final Analysis
The match between Athletic Club and Real Madrid was seamless and the fans enjoyed the moments both teams presented all combining skill, tactics, and determination.
The calmness of Real Madrid with pressure and their ability to convert crucial moments was significant while Athletic’s strong display highlighted their ability to compete at the upper echelon of the league.
As the LaLiga season progresses, both teams will target this encounter as a point of achievement with Real Madrid going for the championship while Athletic Club wants a top four finish.
If you are interested for more: “Athletic Club vs Real Madrid: Score, Goals, Stats, and Highlights | LaLiga 2024/25” “Indian Navy Day 2024: Celebrating the Theme, Significance, and New Additions to the Fleet”