Fede Valverde's stunning stoppage-time volley against Athletic Bilbao brought Kylian Mbappé and the soldout crowd at the Santiago Bernabéu to their feet.
Real Madrid were forced to take on Athletic Bilbao at the weekend without Mbappé leading the line. The Frenchman was serving a one-match ban for the red card he received against Alavés, leaving Carlo Ancelotti without his leading goalscorer in a must-win La Liga match.
Mbappé could only look on from the stands as his side approached stoppage time still deadlocked at 0–0. Just when it looked like Real Madrid would only take home one point from the clash, Valverde sent a spectacular strike into the back of the net in the 93rd minute to secure the 1–0 victory for the hosts.
FEDERICO VALVERDE ARE YOU SERIOUS??!!
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 20, 2025
VALVERDE WITH A HALF VOLLEY TO SAVE MADRID! CLUTCH PLAYER! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/xbKZBTg9L8
Ancelotti, the Real Madrid bench and the sea of white shirts in the crowd could not contain their excitement at the last-minute winner. Fans at the Santiago Bernabéu caught Mbappé's emphatic reaction and the 26-year-old looked like just another Madridista celebrating the victory.
Check out Mbappé's emphatic reaction below.
Mbappé’s reaction to Fede’s goal. 🤍 pic.twitter.com/rUWcDGLDH2
— 𝙇𝘽𝙕 (@losblancoszone) April 20, 2025
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Valverde's winner kept Real Madrid in the La Liga title race. The defending Spanish and European champions maintained their four-point gap behind Barcelona atop the standings thanks to Sunday's victory. With just six games left to play, dropping more points would have all-but ended Los Blancos' campaign for the Spanish crown.
The win also gave the club and the fans something to celebrate following a tough stretch of fixtures. Not only did Real Madrid kick off April with a shocking defeat to Valencia, but they also crashed out of the Champions League in the quarterfinals for the first time in over 20 years. Arsenal eliminated the Spanish giants 5–1 on aggregate thanks to brilliant performances from Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.
The good news for Real Madrid is that Mbappé will likely be back for the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona on April 26. Ancelotti will need his superstar forward back to his best form if Los Blancos want to secure their first piece of silverware in 2025.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kylian Mbappe Reacts to Fede Valverde's Golazo vs. Athletic Bilbao.
