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Real Madrid were once again made to dig deep for a positive result, as a late Sergio Ramos penalty was enough to see off a stubborn Athletic Bilbao side 1-0 at the San Memes Stadium.
Zinedine Zidane's side are now seven points clear of Barcelona in the La Liga summit, as the Blaugrana prepare to take on Villarreal later today. Lionel Messi and co cannot afford to drop points away from home if they are to have a realistic chance of retaining their La Liga crown.
With Eden Hazard and Raphael Varane missing, Real Madrid looked like they could drop points for the first time since the restart. However, a combination of resilience at the back and persistent attacking meant they returned home with all three points.
Once again, the Real Madrid rearguard stood out, as has been the case so often this season. Luka Modric was one of the standout players on the night, as the Croatian maestro continues to age like fine wine and produce standout performances for his side.
Just when the game looked to be heading towards a stalemate, Real Madrid were awarded a lifeline. Marcelo was fouled inside the penalty area and the away side were awarded a spot-kick, which was duly converted by captain Sergio Ramos.
The central defender scored his 10th league goal of the season to give his side a morale-boosting victory. Moments before the full-time whistle, a huge fight broke out between the two sets of players, much to the astonishment of everyone involved.
Real Madrid once again picked up all three points and look set to win their title La Liga title since 2017. As Barcelona look set to take on Villarreal later today, it remains to be seen if the Blaugrana drop points once again.
