Athletic Bilbao presented Barcelona the best gift for Christmas and New Year, by snatching a negative tie from its host Real Madrid on Sunday in round 18 of the Spanish Football League, which made the Catalan club enter the traditional holiday alone in the lead.
After putting behind them the Clasico match, which was postponed from the tenth round, which ended in a negative tie last Wednesday at the Camp Nou Stadium, and the accompanying protests of the Catalans demanding separation from Spain, Barcelona and Real Madrid will enter the Christmas and New Year holidays, and the first was uniquely in the lead by two points after winning on Saturday On Alaves 4-1, taking advantage of the fall of his royal rivals in a draw for the third match, respectively.
The French coach Zinedine Zidane's team suffered two things against Bilbao, who maintained his unbeaten record for the ninth game in a row, including the second round of the Cup competition.
The Royal Club was the best party and got a number of opportunities to open the scoring, most notably for German Toni Kroos who alone with goalkeeper Unai Simon, but the ball bounced from the latter's face to the crossbar (19), while Bilbao relied on quick counterattacks that were dangerous against the Belgian goalkeeper. Thibaut Courtois, especially via Enyaki Williams.
The riyal continued its preference, but it was unable to reach the net, so that the two teams entered the dressing rooms while they are at the same distance and with a negative result that does not reflect the course of the meeting, especially from the side of Zidane who continued on the same pattern in the second half without success in front of the goal until the final whistle, but almost received Aim in stoppage time had it not been for Courtois to shine against the header of substitute Asier Villaliber (6 + 90).