Real Madrid breathed a sigh of relief in the dying moments of Sunday’s match against Athletic Club, when Federico Valverde scored in stoppage time to keep the reigning champions within touching distance of first place in La Liga’s title race.
The breakthrough came in the 93rd minute of a match in which Los Blancos were the better side but looked far from their best at times. Real Madrid picked up the pace in the dying minutes of the game as they fervently searched for the go-ahead goal, which came from Valverde in spectacular fashion. He volleyed the ball hard into the net from the corner of the penalty area to give his side the win.
FEDERICO VALVERDE ARE YOU SERIOUS??!!
VALVERDE WITH A HALF VOLLEY TO SAVE MADRID! CLUTCH PLAYER! 馃敟
ESPN FC
The reigning champions did not have Kylian Mbappe available through suspension on Sunday but the rest of their star lineup, including Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, started. They strung together a sluggish first half with just one shot on target and mustered only 0.25 expected goals from five total shots.
There was a considerable uptick in attempts after the break, when Endrick came on for Dani Ceballos. They appeared to get their reward in the 80th minute with a scorer from Vinicius, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside. In the final minutes, Bellingham hoped to win a penalty; after some deliberation, it was ruled no foul occurred.
Valverde’s goal ensured Real Madrid ended the week on a positive note, vital after their disappointing defeat to Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League. Barcelona, currently leading the title race, offers a significant challenge, maintaining a four-point lead with six games left in league play. Both teams face pivotal midweek fixtures next week, leading to a Copa del Rey final clash on Saturday.
