Mbappé Misses Another Crucial Penalty! But Real Madrid Fell to a Costly Mistake by Another Player

Ancelotti's team lost to the Athletic Club.

In a rescheduled match between Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao, Carlo Ancelotti’s side suffered their second defeat in La Liga this season. Their gap to Barcelona remains at four points, though Madrid has a game in hand.

Compared to the game against Getafe three days prior, Real Madrid made just one change in their starting XI—Tchouaméni returned to the lineup. At the same time, Brahim Díaz moved to the bench. The team played in a 4-4-2 formation with Valverde, Tchouaméni, Ceballos, and Bellingham in midfield. Mbappé paired with Rodrygo up front. As usual, Mbappé often drifted to the left flank.

Athletic players came out urgently, pressing Madrid aggressively from the start. Ernesto Valverde's team showed no fear of the reigning Spanish champions. This high press nearly resulted in an early goal when young Asensio lost the ball near his box under pressure. Nico Williams set up Iñaki Williams with a pass to an open goal. Still, Thibaut Courtois made a brilliant intervention to deny the chance.

Statistically, Ancelotti’s team had more possession. Still, it was mainly in their own and the middle third of the pitch, aimed at slowing Athletic’s tempo. Madrid struggled to handle the hosts' pace. Athletic outperformed Real in attacking third passes by one-and-a-half times in the first half and had nine touches in Madrid’s box compared to five. The best chance also belonged to Athletic—on the half-hour mark, Iñaki Williams showed great skill in creating an opportunity for Berenguer, but the forward missed the target.

Real Madrid failed to register a single shot on target in the first half. The only memorable moments were Mbappé scoring from an offside position and two controversial penalty claims involving Athletic defender Gorosabel, who clashed with Mbappé and Rodrygo. VAR reviewed one incident but upheld the referee's decision not to award a penalty, as both Real forwards appeared to initiate contact themselves. These episodes will undoubtedly spark debates, especially in Madrid.

Athletic began the second half more pressing, making it clear they weren’t content with a 0-0 draw. Shortly after the break, there was a contentious moment in Real's penalty area when Nico Williams went down after a challenge with Asensio. Still, the referee again decided against awarding a spot-kick.

However, in the 53rd minute, Athletic deservedly took the lead. Iñaki Williams sent a cross from the left, which Ceballos failed to block. Despite a messy finish, Courtois' parry fell straight to Berenguer, who bundled the ball into the net.

Ancelotti quickly substituted Ceballos for Brahim Díaz. On the hour mark, Real Madrid finally tested Athletic's goalkeeper Agirrezabala, who has been filling in for the injured Unai Simón. Rodrygo set up Mbappé with a perfect pass to the center of the box, but the Frenchman shot straight into the keeper’s arms.

Mbappé’s woes didn’t end there. Later in the second half, Real Madrid earned a clear penalty after Agirrezabala fouled Rüdiger, who had headed the ball off the crossbar. Mbappé stepped up to take the spot-kick, determined to redeem himself after missing one against Liverpool. Still, he struck another poor penalty—central and at a comfortable height. The Athletic goalkeeper saved it with a brilliant dive, redeeming himself for earlier mistakes.

Real Madrid’s struggles deepened as Anfield's nightmare seemed to repeat itself in Bilbao. However, true to their nature, the team managed to equalize from nothing. Substitute Luka Modrić played a brilliant pass between the lines to start the attack. The ball reached Mbappé, whose shot from outside the box was poorly parried by the keeper, allowing Bellingham to score on the rebound.

Madrid pushed for a winner, but disaster struck from an unexpected source. The usually reliable Valverde was caught in possession under pressure, and Guruzeta capitalized by intercepting, driving toward goal, and slotting a low shot past Courtois. Even the Belgian goalkeeper couldn’t save Madrid this time.

Despite a late push with Arda Güler and Endrick on the field, Real Madrid failed to create meaningful chances in the final minutes. Athletic held on for a hard-fought victory, one they undoubtedly earned.

Published by Patrick Jane
05.12.2024