Real Madrid beat Athletic Club 4-2 in a lively Spanish La Liga match that swung back and forth before Brahim Díaz settled it with the fourth goal. The second half ended with Real Madrid 4, Athletic Club 2, and the final score stayed that way at full time.
Díaz finished from the centre of the box into the bottom left corner after Thiago Pitarch set him up, but the effort did not stand immediately and needed a VAR review before it was awarded. It was the kind of moment that left Athletic waiting and Real Madrid celebrating, with the decision adding another sharp turn to a game that had already moved quickly.
Athletic had already shown enough threat to keep the contest alive. Urko Izeta pulled one back with a header from very close range into the top left corner after a cross from Iñaki Williams, giving the visitors their second goal and briefly tightening the scoreline before Madrid restored control.
There were other chances around the goalmouth too. Kylian Mbappé was caught offside for Real Madrid, while Federico Valverde had a right-footed shot from outside the box saved by Álex Padilla. Those moments underlined how much of the match was being played at pace, with Madrid often on the front foot and Athletic still finding openings of their own.
The result leaves the most recent chapter of Real Madrid - Bilbao as a game defined by quick changes, a disputed finish and a scoreline that never settled quietly. For Madrid, the four goals were enough to take the points. For Athletic, the late frustration came from seeing a useful response undone by a review that confirmed Díaz’s decisive strike.
With the match complete, the main detail for readers is simple: Real Madrid got the win, Athletic scored twice, and the fourth Madrid goal — the one that made the difference — survived VAR. In a game built on in-match events, that call was the one that finally put it beyond doubt.
