Madrid: Diego López; Arbeloa, Sergio
Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo (Dani Carvajal 86'); Khedira (Casemiro 69'), Modric, Di
María, Isco, Cristiano Ronaldo; Benzema (Jesé 72'). 4-3-3.
Athletic: Herrerín; Iraola, Gurpegui, Laporte,
Balenziaga; Iturraspe (Erik Morán 46'), Mikel Rico (De Marcos 46');
Susaeta, Beñat, Muniain (Ibai Gómez 65'); Aduríz. 4-2-3-1.
Goals:
1-0. 26. Isco. Controlled Benzema's lofted pass and
turned shot past Herrerín.
2-0. 45. Ronaldo.Got free of markers to
head long Di María free kick past keeper.
3-0. 71. Isco. Shot which
deflected in off Beñat after Benzema passed across.
3-1. 79. Ibai
Gómez. Fired shot in to net after Susaeta played on De Marcos cross.
Yellow cards: Gurpegui 20', Khedira 28', Beñat 66'.
The first mid-day kick-off of the new season on Sunday, with Real Madrid beating Athletic Bilbao 3-1 to stay amongst the leaders. Ronaldo tested Herrerín early on, and midway through the first half Isco opened the scoring after Benzema passed the ball over the top of the defence, the Spanish international keeping his cool to turn a shot wide of the keeper. With the first half coming to a close Ronaldo headed a second from Di María's cross, and only a good save by Herrerín prevented him from adding a third with a low free kick midway through the second half. Soon afterwards though Isco got his second of the day with a shot which took a deflection off Beñat, and Ronaldo and Jesé both went close a few minutes later. Diego López had hardly been troubled up to then, but with ten minutes to go Ibai Gómez got one back after Susaeta played a De Marcos cross across the area, and Sergio Ramos was lucky to be let off a penalty appeal when he bundled over Susaeta in the area after Diego's half-hearted clearance failed to reach him.