Real Madrid moved top of La Liga on Sunday as Alvaro Morata’s late goal gave Los Blancos a 2-1 win against Athletic Bilbao.
With first place at stake following Atletico’s defeat to Sevilla, Madrid rotated in midfield as Zinedine Zidane brought in Mateo Kovacic and Isco, while a much-changed Athletic were without talisman Aritz Aduriz up top.
Madrid had won 11 straight games at the Santiago Bernabeu against Athletic, and they needed just four minutes to turn defence into attack in an instant as a long pass was taken down by Isco, who cut past Enric Saborit and teed up Benzema for 1-0.
The Basques were far from out of the game, though, as they looked to impose their high-pressing game on Los Blancos, yet Sabin Merino – in Aduriz’s absence – was unmarked when vying for a cross from the right-hand byline but sent his header over.
Indeed, Madrid’s defensive frailties are exposed again as poor defending from Marcelo allowed Javi Eraso to prod the ball for Sabin to half-volley past Navas.
Marcelo then tried to make amends, bending a cross into the Athletic penalty area for Ronaldo to turn home, but Aymeric Laporte came crashing in with a vital interception.
With the first half winding down, Bale got in behind Inigo Lekue and went outside his marker, but Laporte again denied Ronaldo, this time from point-blank range at Iraizoz’s near post.
Ronaldo promptly evaded a challenge and is all alone in the box, but the angle narrows as his strike partners failed to provide an outlet. The No 7 ended up going alone, his shot going straight at Iraizoz.
The restart gifted Athletic a potential winner as the Madrid goal opened up for Williams, who had just Navas to beat, but his first-time shot curled just over.
Arguably the best chance of the second half went begging for Madrid and Benzema as the striker met Isco’s cross but could only aim for Iraizoz, having headed from a standing position.
The home fans’ frustrations then turned into whistles, when Isco was surprisingly sacrified for Lucas Vazquez, but the change proved inspired as Los Merengues suddenly burst into life.
First up was Kovacic, who sent a header the wrong side of Iraizoz’s far post, before Gareth Bale superbly sprang Athletic’s offside trap to meet a raking pass from near the centre-circle, although his cross-cum-shot finish.
Kovacic, having grown in Isco’s absence, picked out Lucas Vazquez in the Athletic box, but Morata decided to overlap his teammate and take matters into his own hands, only to hesitate as he thought he was offside.
Nonetheless, Morata did take full advantage of his substitute appearance as he met Bale’s cross with seven minutes to go and saw his first-time finish creep under Iraizoz and into the back of the net.
Raphael Varane could’ve thrown away the victory just seconds later, the defender’s backpass to Navas sloppy and complacent as Williams nipped in for a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but his lob was clawed away.
Ronaldo hoped to round off the win with the last kick of the match, but he failed to beat Iraizoz one-on-one to extend his goalless run at the Bernabeu to four games.
Real Madrid 2-1 Athletic Bilbao
Benzema 4, Morata 83 (RM) Sabin 26 (AB)
Real Madrid: Navas; Carvajal, Varane, Pepe, Marcelo; Kroos, Kovacic, Isco (Vazquez 65); Bale, Benzema (Morata 75), Ronaldo
Athletic Bilbao: Iraizoz; Lekue, Etxeita, Laporte, Saborit (Muniain 87); San Jose, Rico; Williams, Garcia (Iturraspe 76), Eraso; Sabin (Susaeta 78)
Referee: Iglesias Villanueva
