Kylian Mbappé’s penalty troubles continued as Real Madrid suffered a 2-1 defeat against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday. The French forward missed his second spot-kick in a week, contributing to Real Madrid’s fourth loss in seven games across all competitions.
Athletic Bilbao dominated the first half, pressing a lackluster Real Madrid side that struggled to create chances and failed to register a shot on target before halftime. The breakthrough came in the 53rd minute when Alex Berenguer scored from close range, putting the hosts ahead.
Real Madrid had an opportunity to level the score when defender Antonio Rüdiger was fouled in the box, awarding Mbappé a penalty in the 68th minute. However, Mbappé’s weak effort was easily saved by goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala, echoing his missed penalty in last week’s Champions League loss to Liverpool.
Despite missing key players like Vinícius Jr., Dani Carvajal, Éder Militão, and Eduardo Camavinga due to injuries, Real Madrid found an equalizer in the 78th minute. Jude Bellingham capitalized on a rebound after Agirrezabala parried Mbappé’s shot, bringing the score to 1-1.
The joy was short-lived as Federico Valverde’s mistake gifted the ball to Gorka Guruzeta, who scored the winner for Bilbao just one minute later. The defeat leaves Real Madrid second in La Liga with 33 points, four behind leaders Barcelona, while Athletic Bilbao moves up to fourth place with 29 points.
Mbappé’s performance has come under scrutiny, having missed two of his five penalties for Real Madrid this season, making him the La Liga player with the most missed spot-kicks. Expectations were high when he joined the Spanish giants, but he has struggled to find his form, scoring 10 goals in 21 appearances, with only seven from open play.
Real Madrid will look to bounce back in their next fixture, hoping to close the gap at the top of the table and regain their winning momentum.
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Mbappe misses another penalty as Real Madrid slump at Athletic Bilbao
cgtn.com
