Madrid, May 23, 2026 — On a glorious Mediterranean night at the Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid signed off their 2025/26 La Liga campaign with an exhilarating 4-2 victory over a spirited Athletic Bilbao side. Goals from Gonzalo García, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé, and Brahim Díaz ensured that the home crowd departed with smiles, despite two late consolation strikes from the visitors.
With the title race already decided earlier in the evening, this was a celebration of attacking football – and Los Blancos delivered in front of a capacity crowd.
Match Summary
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Competition | La Liga – Round 38 |
| Match | Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao |
| Date | 23rd May 2026 |
| Kickoff | 21:00 CET |
| Venue | Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid |
| Half-time | 2 – 1 |
| Full-time | 4 – 2 |
First Half: End-to-End Fireworks
The match exploded into life inside 12 minutes. A flowing move involving Federico Valverde and Vinícius Júnior ended with the Brazilian squaring the ball across the six-yard box. Gonzalo García – the young Spanish forward – was on hand to tap home his first goal of the season. 1–0.
Bilbao, however, refused to be intimidated. Led by the combative Iñaki Williams and the creative Oihan Sancet, the Basque side pushed forward at every opportunity. Just before half-time, their pressure paid off.
In the 41st minute, a corner kick was only half-cleared. The ball fell to Jude Bellingham on the edge of the box, and the English superstar took a touch before unleashing a venomous left-footed drive that screamed past Unai Simón. 2–0. The Bernabéu rose to its feet.
But there was still time for more drama. In the 1st minute of first-half stoppage time (45+1′) , Bilbao hit back. A long throw caused chaos in the Madrid penalty area, and Gorka Guruzeta reacted quickest to poke the ball past Thibaut Courtois from close range. 2–1 at the break.
Second Half: Madrid Pull Away
Carlo Ancelotti’s men restored their two-goal cushion early in the second half. In the 51st minute, Vinícius Júnior drove at the Bilbao defense, drawing three defenders before laying the ball off to Kylian Mbappé. The Frenchman, with typical ice in his veins, curled a first-time finish into the bottom corner from 18 yards. 3–1.
Bilbao refused to wave the white flag. They pushed for a second goal, but Madrid’s defense – marshaled by Antonio Rüdiger and Éder Militão – held firm. Courtois made two smart saves from Sancet and Nico Williams to preserve the advantage.
With the clock ticking down, Madrid put the game beyond doubt. In the 88th minute, a devastating counter-attack saw Luka Modrić slide a perfect through ball to Brahim Díaz, who rounded Simón and rolled the ball into an empty net. 4–1.
There was still time for one final twist. In the 1st minute of stoppage time (90+1′) , Bilbao grabbed a late consolation. A corner from the right was met by substitute Unai Iruretagoiena Lertxundi, who powered a towering header past Courtois to make it 4–2.
Match Statistics
| Statistic | Real Madrid | Athletic Bilbao |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 73% | 27% |
| Total passes | 650 | 175 |
| Shots on target | 4 | 5 |
| Shots off target | 8 | 3 |
| Shots blocked | 0 | 1 |
| Shots saved (by keeper) | 0 | 4 |
| Chances created | 7 | 7 |
| Corners | 2 | 2 |
| Offsides | 7 | 2 |
| Free kicks | 18 | 7 |
| Fouls committed | 6 | 20 |
| Tackles | 1 | 3 |
| Yellow cards | 1 | 2 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
Goal Scorers
| Minute | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 12′ | Gonzalo García | Real Madrid |
| 41′ | Jude Bellingham | Real Madrid |
| 45+1′ | Gorka Guruzeta | Athletic Bilbao |
| 51′ | Kylian Mbappé | Real Madrid |
| 88′ | Brahim Díaz | Real Madrid |
| 90+1′ | Unai Iruretagoiena Lertxundi | Athletic Bilbao |
You can get more La Liga league news, live scores, and match highlights at footballscore.
Final La Liga Standings (Top 6)
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barcelona (C) | 38 | 28 | 5 | 5 | 89 |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 38 | 27 | 6 | 5 | 87 |
| 3 | Atlético Madrid | 38 | 22 | 9 | 7 | 75 |
| 4 | Real Sociedad | 38 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 67 |
| 5 | Athletic Bilbao | 38 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 62 |
| 6 | Villarreal | 38 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 57 |
Post-Match Reaction
A jubilant Jude Bellingham told Movistar:
“What a game. What a way to end the season. The crowd was incredible. Gonzalo scoring early, my goal, Kylian’s finish… it was a party out there. We wanted to send a message for next season, and I think we did that.”
Carlo Ancelotti reflected on the campaign:
“We didn’t win the league this year, but this performance shows the character and quality of this squad. Four goals against a very good Bilbao team – that’s the Real Madrid standard. We will come back stronger next season.”
A disappointed but proud Ernesto Valverde (Athletic Bilbao manager) said:
“We played with heart. At 2–0 down, many teams would collapse, but my players kept fighting. We scored twice at the Bernabéu, and we created chances. Congratulations to Madrid, but we can hold our heads high.”
Final Whistle
As the sun set over the Bernabéu, the scoreboard told a simple story: Real Madrid 4–2 Athletic Bilbao. A final-day thriller that showcased everything wonderful about Spanish football goals, passion, late drama, and a stadium in full voice.
HALA MADRID
Source: oddspedia