Real Madrid will play Athletic Club in a La Liga match at San Mames Stadium on Wednesday. Los Blancos travel to Bilbao following three successive league victories.
Notably, if Carlo Ancelotti’s team secure all three points against Athletic Club and Barcelona fails to beat Mallorca on Tuesday, Real Madrid will return to the summit of La Liga.
Ahead of that all-important clash for Los Blancos, let’s take a look at five classic La Liga matches between Real Madrid and Athletic Club.
This close encounter between Real Madrid and Athletic Club at the Santiago Bernabeu in October 2008 saw Los Blancos emerge victorious.
Wesley Sneijder and Gonzalo Higuain initially gave Real Madrid a 2-0 lead within the opening half-hour. However, Joseba Etxeberria’s goal and Andoni Iraola’s penalty brought Athletic Club level by halftime.
Real Madrid eventually restored its advantage in the second half, with Higuain scoring once again to clinch the win for Los Blancos.
Athletic Club’s biggest league win over Real Madrid in recent memory came in March 2004 at the San Mames Stadium.
Francisco Yeste and Ismael Urzaiz put Athletic Club ahead before Raul pulled a goal back for Los Blancos just after halftime.
Raul equalized for Real Madrid in the 71st minute, but Asier del Horno netted twice within the space of two minutes to seal the victory for the home side.
A Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick and a Karim Benzema brace saw Real Madrid secure an emphatic 5-0 victory over Athletic Club at the Santiago Bernabeu in October 2014.
Incredibly, Ronaldo’s hat-trick was his third in four league games. He opened the scoring after just two minutes against Athletic Club, heading in from close range. He then got on the end of a Gareth Bale cross in the 55th minute before completing his hat-trick in the 88th minute.
Currently, this 5-0 victory stands as Real Madrid’s most significant league win over Athletic Club in recent times.
An ill-tempered affair at San Mames Stadium in September 2018 saw Athletic Club and Real Madrid share the points.
Throughout the game, eight yellow cards were issued by the referee. Regarding the goals, Iker Muniain provided Lehoiak with an early lead, while Isco equalized for the visitors in the second half.
Notably, this was the third consecutive league game that Athletic Club had managed to draw with Los Blancos.
Real Madrid’s final home game of the 2009/10 season ended with a stunning 5-1 win over Athletic Club.
Moments after Fernando Amorebieta received a red card in the 20th minute, Cristiano Ronaldo gave Los Blancos the lead from the penalty spot. In the 41st minute, Francisco Yeste stunned the home side by finding the net.
Real Madrid stepped up their game in the second half, with Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema, and Marcelo all getting on the scoresheet.
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