Real Madrid 3 - Athletic Bilbao 0

Real Madrid: Casillas; Michel Salgado, Iván Helguera, Raúl Bravo, Roberto Carlos; Beckham (Borja 88'), Guti; Figo, Raúl, Zidane; Ronaldo. 4-2-3-1.
Athletic: Aranzubia; Iraola (Urzaiz 56'), Lacruz, Karanka, Del Horno; Luis Prieto (César 66'), Gurpegui; Etxeberría, Tiko, Jonan García (Julen Guerrero 74'); Ezquerro. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Madrid: Beckham for Pavón / Athletic: Luis Prieto, Jonan García for César, Urzaiz.

Goals:
1-0. 34. Ronaldo. Collected Helguera headed pass and curled shot past Aranzubia.
2-0. 55. Ronaldo. Dribbled through four defenders and hit low shot across keeper.
3-0. 70. Figo. Shot into empty net after Ronaldo square pass from left.

Real Madrid moved back to the top of the league after a 3-0 win against Athletic Bilbao. With Beckham passing a late fitness test, Queiroz was only missing the suspended Pavón from his all star line up. Helguera dropped back to play alongside Bravo in defence, and Guti moved into the midfield role alongside the England captain. Valverde was able to count on Gurpegui after the CEDD once again postponed his hearing for testing positive almost a year ago, and the manager surprisingly brought in Prieto and Jonan for their first starts of the season, leaving Urzaiz on the bench.

Despite the result the visitors did most of the early attacking, and only a string of fine saves from Casillas kept them from scoring. In particular the young keeper made a point blank save from an Ezquerro header in the fifth minute, and stopped Etxeberría's shot with his feet after he had got past Helguera. Madrid had been surprisingly quiet up to that point, but with ten minutes to go to the break they scored the opener in a long attack, Beckham heading on to Helguera for him to set up Ronaldo. The Bilbao players surrounded referee González Vázquez protesting about a possible foul by Raúl on Aranzubia in the play leading up to the goal, but he waved them aside.

Casillas was in action again before the break to tip a Tiko free kick over the bar, but after the restart it was all Madrid. Raúl missed a couple of relatively easy chances, and then Ronaldo made it two after a powerful run, bicycle move included, which left four defenders trailing. Valverde turned to Urzaiz and he put a shot wide soon after coming on, and Casillas once again was there to save from Del Horno. But Beckham could have extended the lead with a free kick which Aranzubia just tipped on to the crossbar, even though the referee awarded a goal kick.

This was to be Ronaldo's night though, and with twenty minutes to go he shrugged off two defenders on another run down the left wing. Aranzubia came across expecting the shot, but the Brazilian striker saw Figo free in front of goal and laid the ball across for his team mate to score the easiest of goals. There was still time for Casillas to save another effort from Ezquerro though, and the crowd rose to their feet chanting his name. It was a festival night in Madrid, and for 24 hours at least they were back on top.