Athletic fell back defeated against Real Madrid despite having played a good game

Athletic Club lost against Real Madrid (1-2) this Wednesday in San Mamés the Advance match corresponding to the 21st day of LaLiga Santander. The rojiblancos made a good meeting, but it wasn’t enough to break the leader.

The game started with a goal from Benzema (0-1) in minute 4; the Frenchman shot with a thread from outside the area, and goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala was unable to do anything. Three minutes later Benzema put the 0-2 on the scoreboard; Real Madrid took advantage of an error by Balenziaga, Hazard gave a pass that touched Nuñez and the forward of the Madrid team did not forgive against the rival goal.

Things looked bad for Athletic Club, but the rojiblanco team reacted and shortened distances through Sancet (1-2) who shot from outside the area and beat goalkeeper Courtois with a brilliant strike.

Athletic grew after the goal and generated several dangerous plays. The ones with more a high shot from Vencedor, after a play with Muniain and Balenziaga, and a cross from De Marcos that did not find a finisher. In the 25th minute, Real Madrid made a play in which threatened with 1-3 and Benzema’s hat trick, but De Marcos cut Hazard’s pass to the ram. A high shot from Valverde and a deflected shot from Núñez gave way to the break.

At the start of the second half, Real Madrid had possession of the ball, but the local team was able to draw in the 61st minute, although Iñaki Williams’s shot went to the side of the net of the goal defended by Courtois. In the 73rd minute, Iñaki Williams failed to finish off a good pass from his brother Nico Williams. The team led by Marcelino García Toral managed to bottle up Real Madrid in their field, but Ancelotti’s men organized a good counterattack in the 81st minute, which Agirrezabala saved avoiding Hazard’s goal; the Athletic Club goalkeeper avoided Hazard’s goal with a great intervention.

In the final stretch, Athletic Club again launched the attack: Iñaki Williams gave a great pass to Nico Williams, but he sent the shot into the hands of goalkeeper Courtois. Already in the extension, Julen Agirrezabala prevented Real Madrid from scoring any more goals after responding magnificently to the pitches from Jovic and Kroos. In the end, defeat for Athletic Club (1-2).

Datasheet:

1 – Athletic Club: Agirrezabala; De Marcos, Yeray, Nuñez, Balenziaga (Lekue, m.62); Zarraga (Nico Williams, m.57), Winner, Dani García, Muniain (Serrano, m.84); Sancet (Raúl García, m.62) and Iñaki Williams.

2 – Real Madrid: Courtois; Lucas Vázquez, Nacho, Militao, Mendy; Camavinga, Kroos, Valverde; Hazard (Peter Federico, m.86), Benzema (Jovic, m.90) and Vinicius (Mariano, m.85).

Goals: 0-1, m.3: Benzema. 0-2, m.7: Benzema. 1-2, m.10: Sancet.

Referee: César Soto Grado (Riojano Committee). He showed a yellow card to the locals Vencedor (m.43) and Balenziaga (m.61) and to the visitors Vinicius (m.42) and Camavinga (m.62).