Real's Ancelotti hails team effort in win over rivals Bilbao to keep title hopes alive

A late winner from Federico Valverde prevented the reigning Spanish champions from slipping further behind in the league title race, moving them to 69 points in second place, four points behind leaders Barcelona

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Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti praised his team’s character after their hard-fought 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, keeping their LaLiga title hopes alive while responding in the best possible way to their Champions League exit.

A late winner from Federico Valverde prevented the reigning Spanish champions from slipping further behind in the league title race, moving them to 69 points in second place, four points behind leaders Barcelona.

“Valverde was the key because he scored the goal,” Ancelotti told reporters.

“The team did well. We were a bit slower in the first half, but in the second half we did very well in every aspect. We wanted to win, to bounce back after being knocked out of the Champions League.

“It was a good match. We were aggressive and didn’t concede. We were more solid and played better as a team.”

Real lacked a spark in the opening half but looked better after the break, with midfielder Jude Bellingham playing as a false nine.