Real Madrid kicked off December with a dominant 3–0 win over Athletic Club, pulling within one point of Barcelona atop the La Liga standings.
The Spanish giants were in desperate need of a victory on Wednesday after dropping points in their last three league matches. Los Blancos’ poor form in November saw what had been a five-point gap ahead of their bitter rivals disappear, putting the pressure on Xabi Alonso and his star-studded squad to get back to winning ways.
Like so many times this season, Kylian Mbappé answered the call. The France international bagged a brace and an assist against Athletic Club to lift Real Madrid to three points in their final match of a six-game away stretch.
The 15-time European champions will finally return home to the Bernabéu at the weekend to take on Celta Vigo in another all-important La Liga bout.
Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Athletic Club (4-2-3-1)
GK: Thibaut Courtois—8.5: Stood tall when called upon to start December off with a clean sheet.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold—7.6: His best performance in a white shirt. Alexander-Arnold’s service was sensational and he finally snagged an assist for his efforts before coming off injured.
CB: Éder Militão—7.8: Solid as ever. The Brazilian expertly locked down Gorka Guruzeta and even pitched in to keep Nico Williams off the scoresheet.
CB: Antonio Rüdiger—7.2: A bit nervy at times and needed Courtois to bail him out on a few occasions in the first half.
LB: Álvaro Carreras—8.3: Continues to impress on the left flank, especially with his link-up play. Carreras walked away with an assist on the night.
DM: Eduardo Camavinga—8.7: Stepped up when Real Madrid needed him. Camavinga helped his fellow countryman control the midfield and even bagged his first La Liga goal of the season.
DM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—7.7: Hardly put a foot wrong with the ball at his feet and acted as a near-perfect shield for his backline.
RW: Federico Valverde—7.5: Still struggling to find his form, and a move to the right wing did little for him.
AM: Jude Bellingham—8.5: Delivered an all around performance. Bellingham’s work rate and decisive decision-making continues to set him apart from Arda Güler.
LW: Vinicius Junior—7.4: Unlucky not to break his goalscoring drought, but Vinicius Jr still played his part up top. Perhaps the most notable moment of his night came when he hugged Alonso on the touchline.
ST: Kylian Mbappé—9.4: Sensational. Unstoppable. Completely took over the game and played a role in all three goals.
| Substitute | Rating (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
| Raúl Asencio (55’ Alexander-Arnold) | 6.4 |
| Arda Güler (69’ for Camavinga) | 6.4 |
| Rodrygo (78’ for Tchouaméni) | 6.3 |
| Brahim Díaz (78’ for Vinicius Jr) | 6.3 |
| Gonzalo García (78’ for Mbappé) | 6.2 |
Subs not used: Andriy Lunin (GK), Fran González (GK), Fran García, Dani Ceballos, Endrick, Franco Mastantuono.
Athletic Club (4-1-2-3)
Starting XI: Unai Simón; Iñigo Lekue, Dani Vivian, Aymeric Laporte, Adama Boiro; Alejandro Rego; Mikel Jauregizar, Íñigo Ruiz de Galarreta; Álex Berenguer, Gorka Guruzeta, Nico Williams.
Subs used: Jesús Areso, Unai Gómez, Nico Serrano, Mikel Vesga, Selton Sánchez.
Player of the Match: Kylian Mbappé
Athletic Club 0–3 Real Madrid—How It Unfolded at San Mamés
Real Madrid came out with an intensity on Wednesday evening they have not shown since El Clásico. There was a palpable hunger from the players in white to make up for their recent failures, especially with Barcelona now leading the La Liga title race.
It only took seven minutes for Alonso’s men to get on the scoresheet at San Mamés. Trent Alexander-Arnold played a sensational long ball from inside his own half to find Kylian Mbappé, who took one settling touch and then was off to the races.
The Frenchman completely outclassed Aymeric Laporte at the edge of the box to fire an off-balance, right-footed strike past Unai Simón to give Real Madrid a 1–0 lead. Mbappé has now scored 15 goals in as many La Liga matches this season.
Athletic Club had two golden opportunities to get back into the game, but Thibaut Courtois made a flurry of great saves to keep his side in the lead. Vinicius Junior tried to thank his goalkeeper with a cracking strike at the other end of the pitch, but the Brazil international was denied by the woodwork.
Just when it looked like Los Blancos would head down the tunnel with only a one-goal cushion, they orchestrated a brilliant team goal. After a few dazzling moves from Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr, Alexander-Arnold lofted a ball across the face of goal to find Mbappé, who then headed it to Eduardo Camavinga to bury in the 42nd minute.
Kylian goes clear. pic.twitter.com/C4I67jRf4K
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) December 3, 2025
Real Madrid did not take their foot off the gas in the second half, and a third goal felt inevitable. In a split-second decision, Mbappé opted to try his luck from 23 yards out and sent an absolute stunner into the back of the net. It must be said, though, that Simón’s poor positioning allowed the strike to beat him near post.
The celebrations from the vistors served as a brief distraction to the injury Alexander-Arnold seemingly suffered just minutes prior. The right back was forced to come off the pitch in the 55th minute. Camavinga soon joined him on the sidelines after he was unable to continue as well.
Even with the two injury blows, Alonso’s men never looked in danger of a collapse. Real Madrid comfortably closed out the game and collected three points to get back to winning ways.
Athletic Club vs. Real Madrid Halftime Stats
| Statistic | Athletic Club | Real Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 35% | 65% |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 0.56 | 1.93 |
| Total Shots | 5 | 9 |
| Shots on Target | 3 | 5 |
| Big Chances | 1 | 6 |
| Pass Accuracy | 79% | 89% |
| Fouls | 6 | 2 |
| Corners | 1 | 4 |
Athletic Club vs. Real Madrid Full Time Stats
| Statistic | Athletic Club | Real Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 38% | 62% |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 0.87 | 2.04 |
| Total Shots | 9 | 13 |
| Shots on Target | 4 | 8 |
| Big Chances | 2 | 6 |
| Pass Accuracy | 79% | 89% |
| Fouls | 15 | 4 |
| Corners | 5 | 7 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Athletic Club: Statement Performance Ignites La Liga Title Race.
