Mbappé and Courtois: Firefighters of the Highest Order

A lack of consistency in his team's play has left Xabi Alonso vulnerable, but on Wednesday, he relied on two towering figures to extinguish the crisis. Against a weak Athletic at San Mamés, they halted a dreadful streak of three consecutive setbacks that cost Real Madrid the league lead.

Mbappé's two goals and an assist, along with Courtois' three crucial saves, steered Real Madrid back to victory in their last away game before returning to the Bernabéu over a month later. This provided Xabi Alonso with a breather, despite losing Trent to a quadriceps issue and Camavinga, the other scorer of the day, to an ankle injury.

The injuries to the English full-back and the French midfielder were the dark spots for Real Madrid in a classic Spanish football encounter. It halted the dangerous trend for Xabi Alonso's side and sent Athletic back to the drawing board after their win at Ciutat de València.

With the state of emergency declared at the 'white house' following draws against Rayo, Elche, and Girona, Xabi Alonso opted for physicality over chemistry in a midfield that saw Arda Güler drop out and Camavinga return. The other change from the eleven that stumbled at Montilivi was Carreras' return to left-back, replacing Fran García. Ernesto Valverde, meanwhile, shuffled his defence, bringing back Laporte and introducing Adama Boiro, while also recovering Galarreta for a midfield missing the injured Robert Navarro.

The context of the duel for Real Madrid was similar to last season's clash at San Mamés, which followed a heavy defeat at Anfield. Athletic, however, approached it from a different position. They had arrived in full form for a match that marked their fourth consecutive victory in a streak that extended to six. This Wednesday, they faced it amidst a torrent of injuries that have undermined their potential.

Few certainties remain among the lions. Not even Unai Simón, questioned in recent weeks but crucial in preventing the first two blows from Real Madrid, delivered by Mbappé and Vinicius, from causing damage. However, the Vitoria native could do nothing to stop the third visitor assault, sealed with a right-footed shot from Mbappé after the Frenchman tamed a formidable long pass from Trent, silencing Vivian and leaving Laporte speechless.

The movements of the '10' to the left wing, where Trent persistently sought him out with telescopic directional changes that left Lekue overwhelmed, exposed Athletic. The Basque team, incredibly soft, had to be spurred on by the murmurs of their fans to threaten with a Guruzeta shot after Fede Valverde's loss in a move reminiscent of the striker's goal that sealed Ernesto Valverde's side's victory over Real Madrid last season at San Mamés. Courtois dispelled the 'déjà vu' and once again came to his team's rescue after a point-blank shot from Berenguer. Even against a tame opponent, the Belgian goalkeeper had to be Superman.

Because Real Madrid, after the initial surge, relaxed and invited Athletic to grow. Part of that drop was due to the lack of resources in the midfield of a team that only shone when simplifying the attack by sending balls behind Athletic's defenders. Yet, curiously, they managed to increase their lead with a positional attack where the English connection between Bellingham and Trent worked as well as the French alliance formed by Mbappé and Camavinga.

Ernesto Valverde reacted with a double change at halftime, and Jauregizar tested Courtois again with a powerful shot. The goalkeeper returned from the dressing room with his superpowers intact, much to the relief of a Real Madrid side that lost two more players to injury but has two luxury extinguishers at their disposal to at least dampen the flames. Because while Courtois held the team together with his shield, taking on the risks of an end-to-end game, Mbappé sent them into orbit with another long-range strike that silenced the last roars of an Athletic side that has lost its ferocity.