Real Madrid 2-0 Athletic Club: Player ratings as Rodrygo earns win for Los Blancos

A stunning brace from Rodrygo Goes secured an impressive 2-0 win over Athletic Club for Real Madrid in La Liga on Sunday evening.

The Brazilian star opened the scoring in stunning form inside the opening ten minutes, cannoning the ball into the top corner of the net, before slipping the ball into the bottom left corner late in the second half to secure the win for Madrid.

The win sees Madrid edge closer to the La Liga title, with Los Blancos sitting eight points clear of Barcelona heading into the final eight gameweeks of the 2023/24 season.

It would take Real Madrid until the seventh minute to find their way into the final third, and when they did, they took the lead in stunning fashion. The goal would come courtesy of Rodrygo Goes who, after latching onto a Brahim Diaz pass, jinked in-field from the left and curled the ball beautifully into the far top corner of the net.

After taking the lead, Madrid controlled proceedings with rather impressive ease, pinning Athletic Club back into their defensive third.

Los Blancos would come close to doubling their lead on two occasion before the half-time whistle. The first chance would fall to Federico Valverde, who forced Julen Agirrezabala into a smart save at his near post with a volleyed effort, and the second would see Aurelien Tchouameni head a Toni Kroos corner kick just wide.

The home side would come even closer to making it 2-0 a few minutes into the second half when Rodrygo played a defence-splitting pass into the path of Brahim on the right of the penalty box. With just the goalkeeper to beat however, the ex-Man City youngster cannoned the ball off the post and wide of danger.

Madrid were almost made to pay for those misses soon after, as Inaki Williams was able to