Real Madrid secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on Sunday, thanks to a dramatic stoppage-time goal from Federico Valverde. The Uruguayan midfielder’s precise shot into the top corner from the right edge of the penalty area sealed a crucial win for Los Blancos, keeping them in contention for the league title.

The match was overshadowed by the presence of Kylian Mbappé, who was serving a red-card suspension and faced jeers from some sections of the crowd. This wasn’t the first time Mbappé had encountered hostility from the fans, having been booed after Madrid’s 2-1 loss to Arsenal in the Champions League quarterfinals earlier in the week.

Despite dominating the match, Real Madrid had to wait until the dying minutes to break the deadlock. Vinícius Júnior had a goal disallowed earlier in the game due to an offside call on Endrick in the buildup, but Valverde’s timely strike ensured that Madrid secured the three points.

The win moved Real Madrid back within four points of league leaders Barcelona, which had staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Celta Vigo 4-3 on Saturday. Atletico Madrid, currently in third place, remained 10 points off the lead after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Las Palmas on Saturday. Athletic Bilbao, in fourth place, trails Atletico by six points, while Villarreal sits in fifth place, five points behind Athletic with a game in hand.

In other matches, Real Sociedad earned a 2-2 draw against Villarreal, maintaining the intense competition in the La Liga standings. The results underscore the closely contested nature of the title race, with multiple teams still in the running for the top spot.