Jude Bellingham Shines as Real Madrid Secure Easy Opening Match Win in La Liga

In the early hours of August 13th, with goals from Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo, Real Madrid secured a comfortable 2-0 victory against Athletic Bilbao in the opening match of the 2023-2024 La Liga season.

Playing as visitors at the San Mames stadium, Real Madrid faced the match without their full strength lineup, as goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was still unavailable. Manager Carlo Ancelotti deployed a 4-3-1-2 formation, with newcomer Jude Bellingham starting right from the beginning, playing just behind the Brazilian duo of Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior. Meanwhile, another newcomer, Fran Garcia, also made his debut by starting as a left-back.

On the other hand, the home team Athletic Bilbao, under the guidance of manager Ernesto Valverde, stuck with their familiar 4-2-3-1 formation. Forward Inaki Williams, born in 1994, was entrusted with the role of leading the attacking line.

The first half of the match was played at a high pace, with both teams fiercely contesting the ball, but unable to create any notable chances. The turning point of the game came in the 28th minute when Real Madrid unexpectedly took the lead. From an attack on the right flank, the ball found its way to Rodrygo, who, after a skillful maneuver, unleashed a precise low shot to beat Athletic Bilbao’s goalkeeper Unai Simon.

Just a few minutes later, Real Madrid came close to scoring their second goal when David Alaba had a heading opportunity from a corner kick. However, Athletic Bilbao’s defense managed to block the ball.

After a missed opportunity, Real Madrid didn’t have to wait long to find their second goal. In the 36th minute, newcomer Jude Bellingham marked his debut for Real Madrid with a world-class volley from a corner kick delivered by David Alaba.

Facing a 2-goal deficit, Athletic Bilbao launched counterattacks and continuously threatened Lunin’s goal, but their chances were squandered one after another. Ernesto Valverde’s squad had an equal share of ball possession with Real Madrid and managed to produce 7 shots on target, but only 1 of them hit the mark.

Meanwhile, despite conceding two early goals and conceding momentum to the opponent, Real Madrid continued to create opportunities. If taken advantage of, Vinicius Junior could have added a third goal for the “White Knights.”

Real Madrid’s start to the 2023-2024 La Liga season concluded with a concern as Eder Militao suffered an injury. During a challenge with Athletic Bilbao’s midfielder Sancet, Eder Militao lost his balance. The Brazilian defender fell to the ground and, after receiving assistance for a few minutes, had to make way for Rudiger.

Militao was immediately taken to the dressing room and received treatment. Manager Carlo Ancelotti revealed that there is a possibility he might have sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his left knee. Eder Militao will undergo comprehensive injury assessment following the match.

With a convincing 2-0 victory on the opponent’s turf, Real Madrid temporarily climbed to the top of the league standings with 3 points. In their next match, they will travel to the Power Horse stadium to face Almeria on August 20th. Meanwhile, Athletic Bilbao is predicted to face challenges in their away match against Osasuna.