Real Madrid 2-0 Athletic Bilbao: Rodrygo nets a sensational brace to secure three points as Carlo Ancelotti’s side prepare for the visit of Man City in the Champions League

Real Madrid won their last game before facing Manchester City and did so comfortably without the need for the suspended Vinicius.

There are no league games next weekend due to the Spanish Cup final and after this 2-0 win, Madrid can sit back and enjoy the view from the top of the table, eight points ahead of the second place, Barcelona, ​​​​with eight games to play.

They faced Athletic Bilbao, who in six days will be busy playing that final against Mallorca. For Madrid, this was a match won by the “other” Brazilian: the brilliant Rodrygo, always in the shadow of Vinicius, scored two goals and Athletic could offer nothing in response.

It was also the return of Jude Bellingham after his two-game suspension. He drove the team from the center of the field and was the architect of the second goal. And there was a third protagonist. Eder Militao has been out for seven months with a cruciate tear but returned as a second-half substitute and looks fit to play his role against City.

Once the second goal went in, Real Madrid fans focused their attention on that match and held a banner behind the South Goal urging everyone in the stadium to wear the famous white jersey for the first leg of the quarterfinals on April 9th.

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For this victory, Madrid was not wearing white. They debuted their fourth kit and faced Athletic dressed in purple; It was confusing because Athletic wore all white.

However, there was nothing confusing about the first goal. It was pure genius from Rodrygo after eight minutes.

With Vinicius absent due to suspension, his Brazilian teammate was able to play on the left wing of Real Madrid’s attack, where he is most comfortable.

Following a long diagonal pass from Brahim Díaz, Rodrygo cut in from the left wing and beat Julen Agirrezabala with an accurate shot. It was a reminder of how well he can play his favorite position. It is a shame for him that not only Vinicius, but also the incoming Kylian Mbappé, want to play in the same place.

Madrid maintained the lead until half-time and could have doubled it just after the restart, when the other benefactor of Vinicius’s absence, Brahim, crashed into the post.

Athletic came close when Iñaki Williams caught a volley perfectly but Andriy Lunin saved well.

And with Ernesto Valverde’s team leaving space behind and Bellingham at full strength, a second goal for Madrid always seemed more likely than a draw for Athletic.

Bellingham was pushed in the area by Dani Vivian but referee Javier Alberola Rojas dismissed his appeals.

It mattered little because in the 73rd minute the second goal came with Bellingham launching the counterattack and firing Rodrygo, again from the left. He passed Vivian and shot Agirrezabala.

All that was left was for Militao to return to the field of play. The problem was that the ball was in play for so long that it seemed like it wouldn’t make it. Finally Lunin deliberately took him out of the game so that Militao could replace Dani Carvajal seven months and 19 days after his injury. It was the perfect ending to a perfect night for Madrid.