December 03, (THEWILL) — Kylian Mbappé netted twice to guide Real Madrid to a commanding 3-0 win over Athletic Club at San Mamés on Wednesday, ending a three-match winless streak in LaLiga.
The victory moved Xabi Alonso’s side back to within a single point of league leaders Barcelona.
The France international opened the scoring after just seven minutes, controlling a cross-field pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold before firing past Unai Simón.
Thibaut Courtois denied Alex Berenguer at the other end before Vinicius Junior struck the post, and Eduardo Camavinga extended the advantage three minutes before half-time, converting from close range after Mbappé’s headed assist.
Athletic Club attempted to find a route back into the contest early in the second half when Mikel Jauregizar forced Courtois into a save.
However, Mbappé sealed the result shortly before the hour mark with a stunning strike from 25 yards that caught Simón off his line and nestled into the bottom-right corner.
Federico Valverde saw a late effort kept out by Simón, but the outcome had long been settled.
Madrid’s performance represented a significant improvement after three consecutive draws had allowed Barcelona to open up a gap at the summit.
The win provides Alonso’s team with renewed momentum in the title race.
Mbappé’s clinical finishing proved decisive, whilst Courtois remained solid when called upon to preserve the clean sheet.
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.
