Kylian Mbappé Scores Twice as Real Madrid Defeat Athletic Bilbao 3–0 to Return to Winning Form
Real Madrid bounced back strongly in LaLiga with a commanding 3–0 victory over Athletic Bilbao December 3, 2025, at the San Mamés Stadium, thanks to a brilliant brace from Kylian Mbappé.
The win ended Madrid’s run of three consecutive draws in domestic competition, a slump that had allowed rivals Barcelona to take control of the league standings. With this result, Madrid climbs to 36 points, just one point behind Barcelona, restoring tight competition at the top of the table. Villarreal remain close in third place with 32 points and a game in hand.
Athletic Bilbao, meanwhile, failed to capitalize on home advantage and remain stuck in mid-table, sitting eighth with 20 points.
Los Blancos started aggressively, with Unai Simón forced into early saves from Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior. Madrid opened the scoring in the 7th minute, when Trent Alexander-Arnold delivered a pinpoint long pass that Mbappé controlled expertly before finishing past Simón.
Athletic tried to respond with efforts from Gorka Guruzeta, Nico Williams and Alex Berenguer, but each attempt was denied by an outstanding Thibaut Courtois, who delivered one of his best performances of the season.
Madrid doubled their lead just before halftime. In the 42nd minute, Eduardo Camavinga headed home from an Mbappé cross, sending the visitors into the break with a comfortable 2–0 advantage.
Athletic pushed forward after the restart, but Courtois continued to stand firm. Amid the growing pressure, Madrid suffered a setback when Alexander-Arnold was forced off with a muscle injury, followed later by Camavinga, who also exited with a knock.
Despite the injuries, Madrid struck again. In the 59th minute, Mbappé unleashed a powerful drive to complete his brace and secure the 3–0 win.
The result relieved the pressure on Madrid manager Xabi Alonso, who had faced criticism following the recent run of draws. “The team performed very well. This may have been one of our best matches,” Alonso said, praising his squad’s focus against a difficult opponent away from home. “After the draw against Girona, we knew we needed momentum. Now we shift our focus to the next match against Celta Vigo.”
Despite the solid win, the injuries to Alexander-Arnold and Camavinga present new challenges for Madrid, who face a demanding fixture schedule in the coming weeks.
Real Madrid ultimately protected their 3–0 lead until full time, securing a crucial victory in the chase for the LaLiga title.
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