Federico Valverde unleashed a spectacular volley in stoppage time to secure Real Madrid a 1-0 home victory against Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, keeping their La Liga title hopes alive.
The match at the Santiago Bernabéu seemed destined for a draw until Valverde seized on a loose clearance in the 93rd minute, blasting the ball into the top corner and sending fans into a frenzy.
“Fede has an incredible strike,” said Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. “In training, he does this all the time. We’ve been telling him for years: ‘Shoot, shoot!’ and tonight he showed why.”
Earlier in the game, Vinícius Jr. thought he’d broken the deadlock with a low shot in the 79th minute, but the goal was disallowed by VAR due to an offside in the buildup involving Endrick.
Jude Bellingham nearly put Real ahead with a close-range header after halftime, but Athletic’s goalkeeper Unai Simón made a brilliant save to keep the scores level.
Athletic Bilbao, fresh from reaching the Europa League semifinals, displayed disciplined defense throughout the match but struggled to create scoring opportunities.
“We played well and defended until the end, but we know what Real Madrid are like at the Bernabéu,” said Athletic’s Alex Berenguer. “They are a great team, and it’s difficult when they keep pushing into your box.”
The win moves Real Madrid to 69 points, keeping them within four points of league leaders Barcelona. Athletic Bilbao remains fourth with 57 points.
