BILBAO: Real Madrid ended their winless run in LaLiga after Kylian Mbappe produced a brilliant performance with two goals to lead his team to a 3-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao early this morning.
Mbappe opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a solo move from midfield before firing a beautiful shot into the top corner of the goal.
Eduardo Camavinga added to the score in the first half after heading in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross. Madrid’s third goal was completed by Mbappe in the 59th minute.
The victory kept Real Madrid in second place with 36 points from 15 matches, one point behind leaders Barcelona, ending their three-match winless run in the league.
Real coach Xabi Alonso described the victory as important to restore the team’s momentum.
“It’s an important match because we want to end the negative streak. The team is prepared and plays calmly, it’s our most complete match so far in a challenging stadium. Now we have to continue our efforts,” he said.
Real started the game brightly, but Bilbao goalkeeper Unai Simon denied early chances from Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. on several occasions.
Athletic tried to respond in the 24th minute through Gorka Guruzeta and Alex Berenguer, but Thibaut Courtois showed excellent ability to deny the chances.
The second half saw Madrid maintain control of the game as Mbappe continued to be the main threat.
His second goal proved the Frenchman’s brilliance this season, with 16 goals in 15 LaLiga matches, double the tally of Robert Lewandowski, who is second in the league’s scoring charts.
The convincing win gave Real the momentum they needed ahead of their clash with Celta Vigo at the weekend and their Champions League clash with Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu next week.