April 21, (THEWILL) – Federico Valverde scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner to give Real Madrid a vital 1-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, reducing the gap to league leaders Barcelona to four points with six matches remaining in the 2025 La Liga season.
The Spanish giants, still reeling from their midweek UEFA Champions League elimination by Arsenal, struggled offensively throughout much of the contest, particularly in the absence of suspended forward Kylian Mbappe. Madrid managed only one shot on target during a lacklustre first half performance at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Carlo Ancelotti’s team improved significantly after the interval, creating several opportunities against Bilbao’s stubborn defence. Goalkeeper Unai Simon produced an outstanding save to deny Jude Bellingham’s header following excellent build-up play from Vinicius Junior, while Vinicius himself had a goal disallowed in the 79th minute when VAR detected an offside against Endrick in the attacking sequence.
Just when it appeared the match would end in a frustrating goalless draw, with Bellingham missing another chance in the 90th minute, Valverde delivered the decisive moment. After Athletic failed to clear their defensive lines properly, the Uruguayan midfielder struck a magnificent volley into the top-left corner during the third minute of added time, sending the home crowd into rapturous celebration.
The result maintains pressure on Barcelona in what promises to be an exciting conclusion to the Spanish league campaign, with Madrid refusing to relinquish their title defence despite the significant points gap and limited remaining fixtures in the season.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
