Real Madrid 3 - Athletic Bilbao 0

Madrid: Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Heinze, Marcelo; Gago, Guti, Sneijder (Drenthe 86'); Saviola, Raúl (Higuaín 72'), Robinho (Robben 72'). 4-3-3.
Athletic: Armando; Iraola, Gurpegui, Amorebieta, Koikili; Javi Martínez, Garmendia; Susaeta (Murillo 79'), Etxeberría (David López 62'), Gabilondo (Aduríz 78'); Llorente. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Madrid: Marcelo, Guti, Saviola for Cannavaro, Diarra, Robben / Athletic: Gurpegui, Garmendia for Ustaritz, Yeste.

Goals:
1-0. 13. Saviola. Following up after Armando saved from Raúl and Robinho.
2-0. 74. Robben. Connected with Higuaín cross and shot across keeper.
3-0. 76. Higuaín. Picked up long ball and rn on to curl shot inside near post.

Real Madrid will have to wait another week at least before being crowned champions despite a 3-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao. Villarreal's win earlier in the evening cut short their proposed celebrations, and by the time they kicked off, the scaffolding around the Cibeles fountain was being taken down.

It is only now a matter of time though after a third win in a row, and one victory in their next four games will be enough. Saviola took advantage of a rare start to open the scoring with just under a quarter of an hour gone, firing the ball back past Armando after the keeper had saved from Raúl and then failed to hold on to a second effort from Robinho.

Even so Casillas had to be at his best after that to keep his side ahead at the break, the keeper in particular saving from an Etxeberría header and a shot from Garmendia, and then fisting clear a Garmendia penalty after Heinze fouled Llorente. Armando also had to keep out Saviola and Sneijder either side of half time, but Gurpegui (making his first appearance after a two year ban) fired a shot just wide and Susaeta and Iraloa also both went close.

Schuster though turned to Robben and Higuaín and it couldn't have worked out better. Within two minutes the substitutes combined for Robben to turn in Higuaín's cross, and two minutes after that Higuaín picked up a deflected clearance and ran on to curl a shot inside the near post. Bilbao didn't give up, but Casillas wasn't going to miss out on a clean sheet and he did well to keep out a late Aduríz header. Madrid had another three points in the bag though, and it could be all over next weekend when they visit Osasuna.