This archive report was first published on 23 December 2019.
Real Madrid's title hopes suffered a setback on Sunday as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Athletic Bilbao at the Santiago Bernabeu, a result that leaves them two points behind Barcelona in the Spanish title race.
The draw was a frustrating one for Madrid, who created numerous chances but were unable to find the back of the net. Toni Kroos hit the bar, Karim Benzema saw an effort cleared off the line, and both Rodrygo and Vincius Junior forced snap saves from the Bilbao goalkeeper.
Coach Zinedine Zidane brought on Gareth Bale and Luka Jovic in a bid to find a winner, but Madrid's attacking efforts were ultimately thwarted.
"It was neither bad luck nor complacency," Zidane said after the game. "There's no reason to get depressed about this, we need to keep calm and keep our heads up."
Barcelona, meanwhile, have taken advantage of Madrid's slip-up to move two points clear at the top of the table. The defending champions beat Alaves 4-1 on Saturday, with Lionel Messi scoring his 50th goal of the year.
Atletico Madrid also climbed back into the top four with a 2-1 win over Real Betis, thanks in part to a goal and an assist from Angel Correa. The Argentine forward has been training hard and has shown his commitment to the team, according to coach Diego Simeone.
"Correa showed what he's made of today, we've been training him hard. He put on good pressure to get the first goal and a nice pass for the second," Simeone said.
Sevilla are third in the table on 34 points, while Real Madrid are on 37 points after 19 games.
