Kylian Mbappé delivered a masterclass at San Mamés, scoring twice as Real Madrid ended a three-game winless run in La Liga with a commanding 3-0 victory over Athletic Club and moving to within a point of leaders Barcelona.

The French forward opened the scoring after just seven minutes, racing onto a precise long pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold before calmly slotting past goalkeeper Unai Simón. Madrid doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time when Eduardo Camavinga curled in a sublime 25-yard strike after combining with Jude Bellingham. Mbappé sealed the result in the 59th minute with a venomous low drive from distance—his tenth league goal of the season—following a slick exchange with Vinícius Júnior.

Despite the emphatic scoreline, Madrid’s night was marred by injuries to Alexander-Arnold and Camavinga, both limping off late in the game to add to the club’s growing casualty list. Athletic’s hopes of a comeback were dashed when Dani Vivian was shown a straight red card in the 72nd minute for a reckless challenge.

Manager Xabi Alonso hailed the display as Madrid’s most complete performance of the campaign, praising Mbappé’s ruthlessness and the team’s intensity. “This is the level we demand. Kylian was ruthless, the intensity was perfect, and we controlled every phase of the game,” Alonso said.

The victory lifts Real Madrid to 36 points from 14 matches, just one behind Barcelona’s 37, while Athletic remain eighth in the table with 22 points.