Real Madrid 1-0 Athletic Club: Fede Valverde's stoppage time goal keeps them within reach of Barcelona

Real Madrid breathed a sigh of relief in the dying moments of Sunday's match against Athletic Club, when Federico Valverde scored in stoppage time to keep the reigning champions within touching distance of first place in La Liga's title race.

The breakthrough came in the 93rd minute of a match in which Los Blancos were the better side but looked far from their best at times. Real Madrid picked up the pace in the dying minutes of the game as they fervently searched for the go-ahead goal, which came in spectacular fashion from Valverde. He received the ball in the corner of the penalty area and hit it on the volley from that distance, hitting it hard enough to send it into the back of the net to give his side the win.

Watch the strike below.

The reigning champions did not have Kylian Mbappe available to them through suspension on Sunday but the rest of their all-star crew started, including Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham. However, they strung together a sluggish first half in which they took just one shot on target and mustered just 0.25 expected goals out of five total shots.

There was a considerable uptick in shot-taking after the break, when Endrick came on for Dani Ceballos as Los Blancos searched for the go-ahead goal. They appeared to get the reward for their efforts in the 80th minute when Vinicius came up with a nice finish from close range, but the goal was taken back after Endrick was found to be in an offside position during the play. Nine minutes later, Bellingham hoped to win a penalty, and though the referee and crew contemplated it for a bit, they ultimately ruled that the foul in question did not warrant a spot-kick.

Valverde's goal ultimately ensured that Real Madrid would end the week on a positive note, especially after a disappointing week. Their lopsided defeat to Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League meant their trophy hunt dwindled from three potential titles to two this season, as well as exposed an imbalance in the squad that was still present on Sunday. Their imperfections were also a hallmark of their double-winning season a year ago, though their uncanny ability to eke out a victory even in unideal circumstances has disappeared at times this season. It returned on Sunday and could offer a crucial boost to Real Madrid in the final weeks of the season, but they will have to maintain that momentum to at least keep pace in the title race.

Real Madrid have a formidable opponent in Barcelona, who have lost just one game in 2025 and are in the midst of a 29-day stretch in which they will play nine games. Despite fixture congestion weighing heavily on Hansi Flick's side, they still managed a wild comeback and an important 4-3 win over Celta Vigo on Saturday to stay atop La Liga's title race and keep their treble hopes alive. They end the weekend with a four-point advantage over Real Madrid with six games to go in league play.

What's next

An important batch of midweek fixtures awaits in La Liga, where both Real Madrid and Barcelona will have a chance to stake their claim in the title race. Barcelona will play seventh-place Mallorca on Tuesday, while Real Madrid will take on 12th-place Getafe the day after. The pair will then face each other for the latest edition of El Clasico on Saturday in the Copa del Rey final, which marks both teams' first opportunity to collect major silverware this season.