18.04.2018 » Real Madrid 1-1 Athletic. Ronaldo saves a point near the end!

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Real Madrid dropped 2 points in La Liga tonight, after a 2-2 draw against Athletic Bilbao. The Merengues found themselves trailing throughout most of the game, but a Ronaldo goal in the 87th minute rescued a point for the hosts that helps securing the 3rd place in the standings.

Real Madrid were unable to defeat Athletic Club tonight, in an incredibly frustrating night at the Bernabéu that ended with a 1-1 draw. In a few words, the Basque squad were, organized, disciplined and effective, despite conceding countless possession to the Merengues. The visitors drew the first blood very early in the game, with Inaki Williams chipping the ball over Keylor Navas in the 14th minute. As expected, Zinedine Zidane's men started a heavy charge over Athletic for the equalizer, but the much-needed goal only arrived with 3 minutes left to be played in regular time. Cristiano Ronaldo, who else, deflected a right foot shot from Luka Modric and saved a point for the European champions...

Cristiano Ronaldo game photos in Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao
Real Madrid 1-1 Athletic Bilbao - Goals and highlights:

All Cristiano Ronaldo actions vs Athletic Bilbao:

Real Madrid started a strong lineup with Zidane hoping to bolster his team's confidence in the run-up to their massive Champions League tie, but there was an alarming lack of creativity in the final third. Ronaldo, Benzema, Modric, and Kroos all started, with Vasquez and Asensio on the wings.

Quite worryingly, this performance was a call back to earlier this season, with the countless crossing and the lack of goals. It's the 12th time this year at home we haven't been able to win. With Bayern now exactly a week away, Real Madrid will have to dig deeper to make a dent against the German giants.

Pacy forward Inaki Williams was the star in attack for the visitors, even though his classy chip past Navas in the first half came against the run of play. Nevertheless, in the context of the match, it was well deserved. Try as they might, Madrid could not find a way past Kepa Arrizabalaga. The young keeper, who's surely after this performance still in the clutches of Florentino Perez, was a constant thorn in Madrid's side. Save after save thwarted the Merengues...

But just when all seemed heading for a loss, Cristiano Ronaldo came again. This time, it was a bit less direct but his quick backheel was able to deflect Luka Modric's shot into the back of the net and set the score in 1-1.

Dani Carvajal was the man of the match for me as he was everywhere during the match in both attack but especially in defense when the team went forward. Good to see him playing at his best level in the dawn of a big challenge in Europe.

Real Madrid must find their shooting boots ahead of the Bayern match. The German outfit have been in flying form and it seems very unlikely that it will stop anytime soon. A performance like this vs Bayern could very well turn out to be a disaster...

Author: Terrance Ross

Real Madrid line-up vs Athletic Bilbao:

Goalkeeper: Navas
Defenders: Marcelo, Ramos, Varane, Carvajal
Midfielders: Modric, Kroos, Lucas Vázquez, Asensio
Attackers: Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema.

Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Real Madrid is on April 25 of 2018 against Bayern Munich. You can watch Juventus live stream, Bayern Munchen vs Real Madrid, Real Sociedad vs Atletico Madrid, Burnley vs Chelsea, Leicester City vs Southampton, and WBA vs Liverpool, all matches provided from our live soccer game pages.

Real Madrid next game:
Bayern Munchen vs Real Madrid kick-off time (25-04-2018):

Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+8: 02:45
Jakarta (Indonesia) | UTC/GMT+7: 01:45
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+4.30: 23:15
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+2: 20:45
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+1: 19:45
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 15:45
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 14:45
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 11:45

Sources: ronaldo7.net / realmadrid.com / skysports.com / fourfourtwo.com

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