In a thrilling late twist, Federico Valverde’s sensational volley gave Real Madrid a crucial 1-0 home victory over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday. The goal, coming three minutes into stoppage time, ensured Madrid stays within four points of La Liga leaders Barcelona.

Valverde’s Late Heroics

“Fede has a very unusual shot, a very good one,” Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said. “In training he easily does one or two like that a week. We’ve been telling him for years: ‘shoot, shoot’.”

“Fede has a very unusual shot, a very good one… We’ve been telling him for years: ‘shoot, shoot'”

Valverde’s winner was no fluke, as he pounced on a poor clearance to fire a volley into the far top corner, sending the Bernabéu into ecstasy.

Madrid Bounce Back

Madrid’s win comes after their midweek Champions League exit at the hands of Arsenal. The victory moves them up to 69 points, six clear of third-placed Atletico Madrid, who suffered a shock loss at home to Las Palmas.

After an uneventful first half, Real’s first clear scoring chance came from Jude Bellingham‘s close-range header, but Athletic goalkeeper Unai Simón made a brilliant save to keep the scores level.

Athletic’s Resilience

Fresh off reaching the Europa League semi-finals, Athletic stayed disciplined in defense, frustrating Real for much of the match. However, they failed to create scoring chances of their own and left the Bernabéu empty-handed.

“We played well, we defended until the end, but we know what Real Madrid are like at the Bernabéu,” said Athletic’s Álex Berenguer.

Tabelle Standings

• Barcelona – 75 points
• Real Madrid – 69 points
• Atletico Madrid – 63 points
• Athletic Bilbao – 57 points