The Real Madrid has once again missed a crucial opportunity to close the gap with FC Barcelona in the fight for the lead in LaLiga EA Sports. Why? Carlo Ancelotti's team failed to overcome Athletic Club in a match that ended 2-1 in favor of the Basques. The scorers were Álex Berenguer (53') and Gorka Guruzeta (80') for the 'lions', and Jude Bellingham (78') for the Madrid side. In this match, Kylian Mbappé wasted a key opportunity by missing a penalty in the 68th minute, while an unfortunate mistake by Fede Valverde sealed the defeat for the whites.
It should be noted that Real Madrid had not lost to Athletic Club in San Mamés for nine matches in LaLiga, with seven victories and two draws. The last defeat for the Chamartín side against the Basques in the historic Bilbao venue in the local tournament was a 1-0 in the 2014-15 season, with Aritz Aduriz as the protagonist by scoring the only goal of the match. Interestingly, both coaches at that time were Carlo Ancelotti for Real Madrid and Ernesto 'Txingurri' Valverde for Athletic Club.
Now, regarding curiosities, FC Barcelona is closely watching this result. Why? Beyond the fact that this defeat prevents Real Madrid from closing the gap at the top, the victory of Athletic Club contributes to a peculiar statistic that positions Barça as a strong candidate to win the UEFA Champions League 2024-25.
Madrid's defeat in San Mamés 'feeds' a curious precedent for FC Barcelona
It is important to point out that the last time Real Madrid lost in San Mamés for LaLiga (2014-15), FC Barcelona became the UEFA Champions League champions. It was on that occasion that Barça lifted their fifth European Cup, which to this day remains the last 'Orejona' obtained by the team.
In that season, the team led by the iconic 'MSN' (Leo Messi, Luis Suárez, and Neymar Jr.) under the management of Luis Enrique, dominated the most prestigious club competition in Europe, sweeping through each stage of the tournament.
Will this 'law' be fulfilled again? It is unknown. At least Barcelona is on the right track for it. Hansi Flick's team is fighting neck and neck for the lead in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League with Liverpool and Inter Milan, teams that only lead them by three (15) and one point (13) respectively, while the azulgrana team has 12 points.