Match ends, Athletic Club 1, Real Madrid 2.
Ath BilbaoAthletic Bilbao1Real MadridReal Madrid2
A Karim Benzema double took Real Madrid to the top of La Liga as they beat Athletic Bilbao.
Benzema, who now has five league goals this season, seized on a short backpass from Mikel San Jose for his first.
Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas was four minutes away from breaking a 40-year club clean sheet record when Sabin Merino headed an equaliser.
Benzema tapped-in the winner for Real who moved ahead of Barcelona after they lost 4-1 at Celta Vigo.
Coach Rafa Benitez said: "Undoubtedly I'm happy because we won the game and I think the two halves were very clear and defined for us.
"Benzema is a great player, he is a different striker because he moves around the area and he is a very good partner for Cristiano Ronaldo. Our objective is that he scores 20-25 goals and he is going in the right direction, but he will also have to add assists to that."
Ronaldo remains three goals short of breaking Raul's club scoring record after failing to score.
The Portuguese went into the match on 321 goals for Real in all competitions, but he was left frustrated as a battling Athletic made Real work all the way for the points.
Goalkeeper Navas looked certain to set a new record for not letting in a goal for Real, having started the campaign with five consecutive clean sheets domestically and in Europe, until Merino's glanced header
But Benzema's second of the game, getting to Isco's cross just before Ronaldo, came minutes later to frustrate the hosts.
Line-ups
Ath Bilbao
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Iraizoz Moreno
- 10De Marcos AranaBooked at 66mins
- 16Etxeita Gorritxategi
- 4Laporte
- 24Balenziaga Oruesagasti
- 6San JoséSubstituted forRico Morenoat 72'minutes
- 7Etxebarria UrkiagaBooked at 64minsSubstituted forSola Clementeat 84'minutes
- 14SusaetaSubstituted forGómez Pérezat 78'minutesBooked at 81mins
- 22Garcia EscuderoBooked at 90mins
- 25Merino Zuloaga
- 20Aduriz
Substitutes
- 5Eraso Goñi
- 9Sola Clemente
- 11Gómez Pérez
- 13Herrerín Buisán
- 17Rico Moreno
- 18Gurpegi Nausia
- 30Lekue Martínez
Real Madrid
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Navas
- 15Carvajal
- 3PepeBooked at 57mins
- 2Varane
- 12Marcelo
- 19Modric
- 8KroosBooked at 78mins
- 22IscoSubstituted forRodríguez Ruizat 72'minutes
- 16KovacicSubstituted forVázquezat 89'minutes
- 7Cristiano RonaldoBooked at 52mins
- 9BenzemaSubstituted forCasemiroat 80'minutes
Substitutes
- 6Nacho
- 13Casilla
- 14Casemiro
- 17Arbeloa
- 18Vázquez
- 20Rodríguez Ruiz
- 21Cheryshev
- Referee:
- Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz
- Attendance:
- 43,487
Match Stats
Home TeamAth BilbaoAway TeamReal Madrid
- Possession
- Home44%
- Away56%
- Shots
- Home12
- Away22
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away6
- Corners
- Home6
- Away8
- Fouls
- Home16
- Away9
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Athletic Club 1, Real Madrid 2.
Post update
Casemiro (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by De Marcos (Athletic Club).
Booking
Raúl García (Athletic Club) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Jesé (Real Madrid) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Foul by Raúl García (Athletic Club).
Substitution
Substitution, Real Madrid. Lucas Vázquez replaces Mateo Kovacic.
Post update
Casemiro (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Sabin (Athletic Club).
Post update
Corner, Athletic Club. Conceded by Keylor Navas.
Post update
Attempt saved. Aduriz (Athletic Club) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by De Marcos with a cross.
Post update
Mateo Kovacic (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Raúl García (Athletic Club).
Substitution
Substitution, Athletic Club. Kike Sola replaces Beñat.
Post update
Attempt missed. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Luka Modric.
Booking
Ibai Gómez (Athletic Club) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Daniel Carvajal (Real Madrid) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by Ibai Gómez (Athletic Club).
Substitution
Substitution, Real Madrid. Casemiro replaces Karim Benzema.
