Real Madrid vs. Athletic Bilbao: Score and Reaction from 2016 La Liga Match

Real Madrid had to battle hard to secure a 2-1 win over Athletic Club in Madrid on Sunday, grabbing sole possession of the top spot in La Liga's standings in the process.

Karim Benzema gave the hosts an early lead, but Sabin Merino tied things up before half-time. Real pushed hard for a winner but failed to breach the Basque defence until substitute Alvaro Morata did so with less than 10 minutes left to play.

As Real's official Twitter account shared, both Isco and Mateo Kovacic earned spots in the starting XI:

The visitors started the match well, showing they weren't afraid of Real's vaunted attack, but the first opening of the match fell to Los Blancos, with Isco missing Gareth Bale on the edge of the box.

Inaki Williams took a back-heel pass from Javier Eraso and put Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas to work for the first time, and the resulting set piece gave the hosts some trouble, with Marcelo eventually clearing.

Real took the lead in the seventh minute thanks to an unfortunate slip by a defender, giving Isco the space to find Benzema for an easy goal. ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan thought the Athletic defence could have done better:

Real didn't let up after their early lead, and Toni Kroos fired a shot on goal after a loose ball fell to him near the box, drawing a save from goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz.

Cristiano Ronaldo was the next man to go close, dashing forward through the defence before firing a ball just wide of the mark. Marcelo picked out Bale inside the box after a sensational passing move, but the Welshman lifted his header too high.

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Real were in full control, but the visitors fired off one or two warning shots. Sabin had a free header after a defensive breakdown by Los Blancos, and Aritz Aduriz's replacement should have pulled his side level.

Corrigan noticed Real also struggled with the press:

Ronaldo fired another shot wide, and Bale couldn't find a team-mate with a cross before the visitors pulled level through Sabin. Inigo Lekue, a first-half standout, dribbled past Isco and Marcelo before firing a cross into the box, and while Eraso couldn't get his touch right, Pepe pushed the ball into the path of an unmarked Sabin.

Agence France-Presse's Kieran Canning thought the Real defence again came up short:

Real could barely trouble Iraizoz, who used his fists to get rid of a dipping cross toward Ronaldo. Aymeric Laporte did a fantastic job against some of the high balls into the box, and Real struggled to come up with a plan B.

Eraso and Sabin continued to be a nightmare to defend on the counter, and the latter curled a shot over Navas' goal after another sharp break. Benzema couldn't work the ball past Iraizoz, and Ronaldo wasted the last good chance of the half, taking too long to make up his mind inside the box.

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Real started the second half on the front foot, and Bale wanted a penalty after five minutes for contact from Lekue. The official remained unmoved, however.

On the other side of the pitch, Williams came close to making it 2-1 for the visitors, as a poor throw skipped past Pepe and right into Williams' path. The 22-year-old had only Navas to beat but put too much power into his strike, missing the goal.

Marca's Jason Pettigrove thought the miss could prove costly:

Ronaldo tried his luck with a low cross that failed to find a team-mate, and Benzema headed a ball straight at Iraizoz as Bilbao's defence started to frustrate the hosts.

Ronaldo scuffed a shot from the edge of the box, putting it wide, and a free-kick minutes later failed to find the mark as well. Los Blancos kept pushing, but neither the Portuguese nor Kovacic could keep his efforts on target.

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Manager Zinedine Zidane introduced Morata in an attempt to turn the tide, but Los Blancos kept messing up their chances. Bale fired a volley wide from a promising position, and a mad scramble in front of goal didn't yield any results.

The substitute eventually found the breakthrough. Iraizoz saved his initial volley, but the stopper could only send it back to Morata, who didn't miss a second time.

Per Gabriele Marcotti of The Times, he gave himself a perfect birthday present:

Raphael Varane almost gifted the visitors another equaliser soon after, handing Williams the ball on a silver platter. Once again, the speedster failed to beat Navas, however.

Morata and Laporte were both booked for their parts in a minor fracas, and Athletic threw all of their men forward for a final offensive. The Real defence stood firm, however, preserving the win. In the final minutes, Ronaldo missed a golden opportunity to add to the lead.

Per Corrigan, Zidane praised his team's fighting spirit at the end of the match:

Real's next outing will be in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday, when they will take on Deportiva Leonesa. Bilbao will face Osasuna in La Liga next Sunday.