BILBAO, Spain (Interstat) — Real Madrid opened its Spanish league campaign with a commanding 3-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao at San Mamés on Wednesday, displaying the firepower that makes it a perennial title favorite.

The visitors, expected to contend for the La Liga championship, needed less than 10 minutes to silence the home crowd. Kylian Mbappé, coming off the bench early, announced his presence in the league with a blistering run and finish in the seventh minute, giving Madrid an immediate advantage it would not relinquish.

The first half was a largely controlled affair from Madrid, who managed the tempo and limited Bilbao’s attacking threats. The home side struggled to find rhythm or a sustained threat on goal. Madrid doubled its lead just before halftime, in the 42nd minute, when substitute Eduardo Camavinga found the net to give his team a commanding 2-0 lead at the break.

Any hope of an Athletic comeback was extinguished early in the second half. Mbappé struck again in the 59th minute, sealing his brace and putting the match definitively out of reach at 3-0. His two-goal performance off the bench provided the decisive individual spark in a match where Madrid’s overall quality proved too much.

Athletic Bilbao’s frustration began to show as the match progressed. Midfielder Álex Berenguer received a yellow card in the 66th minute, and teammate Alejandro Rego was also booked 10 minutes later. Berenguer and Rego were credited with the assists on Bilbao’s attempts, but their creative efforts could not penetrate a disciplined Madrid defense, which secured a clean sheet in a difficult away environment.

The result aligns with pregame projections, though Madrid’s margin of victory exceeded expectations. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a closer 2-1 win for Real Madrid. Furthermore, the same service’s ELO rating system gave Madrid a 98.50 percent probability to win the contest, a forecast the team emphatically fulfilled with its three-goal shutout.

For Real Madrid, the victory marks a perfect start to the La Liga season and across all competitions, beginning its campaign with a statement win on the road. The performances of Mbappé and Camavinga, both entering as substitutes and combining for all three goals, highlight the depth and game-changing talent available to the Madrid squad.

Athletic Bilbao, meanwhile, starts its season with a defeat at home. The team will look to regroup after being outperformed in key moments by a clinical opponent. The shutout loss underscores the challenge of breaking down elite defenses as Bilbao seeks its first positive result.

The match showcased the gulf in execution between the two sides on the day. Real Madrid capitalized on its chances efficiently, while Athletic Bilbao failed to convert its periods of possession into dangerous opportunities. The comprehensive nature of the win provides a solid foundation for Madrid’s title aspirations as the long league season gets underway.