Karim Benzema bid farewell to Real Madrid with a penalty kick goal in his last Spanish La Liga game at the Bernabeu, but his efforts were not enough to secure a victory as they settled for a 1-1 draw against Athletic Bilbao.
The announcement came earlier on Sunday that the Ballon d'Or winner, Benzema, would be leaving Real Madrid as a free agent in the upcoming close season. This decision marked the end of his remarkable 14-year journey with the club, and rumors circulated about a potential move to Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad.
The match saw Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid's goalkeeper, save a penalty kick from Mikel Vesga in the early stages of the first half. However, Athletic Bilbao managed to break the deadlock in the 49th minute when Oihan Sancet capitalized on a rebound opportunity, slotting in his 10th league goal of the season after a rather tame initial effort.
Real Madrid fought back and found an equalizer in the 72nd minute when Eder Militao was elbowed by Yuri Berchiche inside Athletic Bilbao's penalty area. The resulting penalty kick was successfully converted, leveling the score for Real Madrid.
Despite the draw, Real Madrid maintained their grip on the second position in the league table. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid, who were reduced to 10 men, were held to a 2-2 draw by Villarreal, with Jorge Pascual's equalizer coming in the second minute of added time. This result ensured that Diego Simeone's team finished the season with 77 points, one point behind their local rivals, Real Madrid.
In other news, Osasuna secured a spot in the Europa Conference League by defeating Girona 2-1 and finishing in the seventh position, two points ahead of Athletic Bilbao.
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