Mbappé's Two-Goal Blitz Exposes Athletic's Title Pretensions: Madrid Crushes 3-0

Average Futmetrix Score: 43/100. When the title race's second-placed heavyweight visits a team clinging to European stakes, the gulf in execution becomes impossible to hide.

Surgical precision from the opening whistle

Real Madrid arrived at San Mamés with a singular mission: impose their will. Kylian Mbappé needed just seven minutes to set the tone, pouncing on a defensive lapse to deliver an early sucker punch. The visitors' intensity was suffocating—62% possession, incisive passing patterns, Athletic Club reduced to scraps. The home side managed only nine total shots against Madrid's thirteen, and more critically, a mere 0.84 xG compared to the visitors' 2.21.

The second arrived before halftime. Eduardo Camavinga finished a textbook move in the 42nd minute, assisted by Mbappé himself, who had already assumed dual roles as architect and executioner. Athletic's defensive structure crumbled under relentless pressure. By the 59th minute, Mbappé completed his brace—a clinical finish that ended any lingering hope. Two goals, one assist: the French forward was a tornado of offensive threat.

Jude Bellingham orchestrated from midfield with a precision that made Athletic appear undermanned. The balance of the match was never truly contested—Madrid took the lead in minute seven and never surrendered it. Athletic's 12 corners represented their only avenue of pressure, but Madrid's defensive discipline neutralized every set-piece threat.

The gulf in class on full display

This wasn't a contest; it was a masterclass in control. Real Madrid's 88% pass accuracy and 641 total passes—compared to Athletic's 375 and 79%—told the story of a team playing chess while their hosts played checkers. Athletic's form of LWLWL heading into this fixture suggested vulnerability, and Madrid exploited every seam. The visitors' 11 wins from 15 games underscored why they sit second in La Liga, just 17 points clear of Athletic's midtable perch.