Athletic Bilbao vs. Real Madrid: 3 stars and 2 flops for Los Blancos from 2-1 win

Real Madrid finished the year 2021 with a 2-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao, completing a season sweep of their “Viejo Clasico”. Like the first fixture against the Lions in 2021-2022, this battle at San Mames was intense. It always is. But Los Blancos managed to find a way through after two early goals from the eternal Karim Benzema.

There is no doubt that Benzema was the main star of the show for Real, but he was not the only great performer for Los Merengues. Conversely, there was a pair of players who did not exactly shine for the visitors.

Here are the three stars and two flops from Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao.

Star: Eder Militao

Eder Militao has earned rave reviews for his performances here in 2021-2022 at the heart of the Madrid defense. The 23-year-old is well on his way to becoming recognized as one of the best in the world at his position, and he may even be recognized as the LaLiga Player of the Month by FIFA 22 fans.

This is a young man who always quietly does his job and does not make a mess of any defensive situation. Militao’s mistakes are few and far between, and while any young center back must learn the little things, he is well on his way.

On Wednesday night, Militao had two of each of tackles, interceptions, and clearances. He was always on his toes against LaLiga veteran Inaki Williams. These two have had a few battles in the past, and Williams is not an easy man to mark. He is very savvy. But as usual, Real’s young central defender was up to the task.