October 15th, Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid.
After a two-week National Team match day break, Real Madrid welcomed the eighth round of La Liga, hosting Athletic Bilbao.
Yang Yang still failed to pass the team doctor's examination and was left off the matchday squad, forced to watch from the stands with his wife and children.
Despite Suarez returning to the national team to lend a hand, Yang Yang's absence meant he still started this match.
Only seven minutes into the game, Marcelo switched play with a long pass. Isco made a quick run up the right half-space, received the ball, and charged straight into the box before cutting it across. Suarez followed up and easily swept it into the net, opening the scoring for Real Madrid.
But in the twenty-seventh minute, Javi Martínez, returning from injury, failed to clear the ball in time. Sabin swept it into the net from in front of goal, leveling the score for Athletic Bilbao.
The Basque Lions were still ferocious even at the Bernabéu.
The two sides then became locked in a stalemate. It was not until the eighty-third minute that substitute Morata received Di Maria's cross from the right inside the box. His volley was saved by the goalkeeper, but he followed up and scored from close range, giving Real Madrid the goal that secured victory.
It was also the Real Madrid striker's twenty-fourth birthday present.
Real Madrid narrowly defeated Athletic Bilbao 2–1 and finally escaped the rut of three consecutive draws, but the team's form still showed little improvement.
Barcelona and Atletico Madrid were not doing much better, either.
Barcelona visited Valencia and took the lead through a Messi goal, but after halftime, Valencia scored twice in succession. Cristiano Ronaldo eventually equalized, and Messi scored a late penalty to seal a 3–2 away