Mbappé Stars as Real Madrid Crush Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in Crucial La Liga Clash
Real Madrid Return to Winning Ways with Dominant Performance
Kylian Mbappé registered three goal contributions to fire Real Madrid to a comfortable 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in La Liga on December 3, 2025, at San Mamés Stadium. The victory was crucial for Los Blancos, who desperately needed to get their title challenge back on track after a series of frustrating draws had allowed Barcelona to extend their lead at the top of the table.
The French superstar was in irresistible form, opening the scoring early in the match before setting up Eduardo Camavinga for the second goal. Mbappé conjured up some magic to give Real Madrid an early lead, before he provided the assist for Eduardo Camavinga to double the lead in the first period. A subpar Athletic side were unable to mount a fightback in the second half, as Mbappé scored from outside the box for the second time in the contest to seal a comprehensive victory.
Historical Context of El Viejo Clásico
El Viejo Clásico (The Old Classic), also known as El Otro Clásico (The Other Classic) is the name given to any football match between Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid. This fixture carries significant historical weight, as these two clubs, along with Barcelona, are the only participants in all editions of La Liga, the national league championship. The match at San Mamés proved particularly sweet for Real Madrid, coming exactly a year after Athletic won their most recent meeting with Los Blancos at home 2-1 with Alex Berenguer and Gorka Guruzeta scoring. That was Athletic’s first La Liga win over Real Madrid since a 1-0 win in March 2015.
Title Race Implications
As a result of the win, Los Blancos have moved back to within a point of leaders Barcelona, while Athletic remain in eighth spot in La Liga. The timing couldn’t have been more crucial, as Real Madrid desperately needed to get their title bid back on track, especially after seeing Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid on Tuesday evening.
The victory showcased Real Madrid’s resilience and championship pedigree, with defensive solidity complementing their attacking prowess. At the opposite end of the pitch, Thibaut Courtois made four stops, including a smart save from Alex Berenguer in the first half, to claim his seventh clean sheet of the league season.
Looking Ahead
This comprehensive victory sends a clear message to Barcelona that the title race is far from over. For Athletic Bilbao, they are finding it difficult to reach the heights of last season’s top-four finish. While they are struggling to produce the sort of form from last term, they are still in the hunt for European football, although the Europa League or Conference League qualification appears to be their ceiling for the current campaign.
With the La Liga season entering its crucial phase, Real Madrid’s dominant performance demonstrates they have the quality and determination to challenge Barcelona until the final day. The return to form of Mbappé could prove decisive in what promises to be a thrilling title race.