Athletic hit the brakes in Mendizorroza. They could only draw against Deportivo Alavés after taking the lead in the first half. Fatigue after the European adventure took its toll on the legs of the red and whites, who lacked the energy to complete the job against a team that is beginning to change its face to the bench. It is a more aggressive team, which stood up in the second set, and took the prize on its only occasion, after a rebound. The people of Bilbao tried to resolve in the last minutes, but they had remained cold, like the atmosphere in Vitoria.
1
Antonio Sivera, Nahuel Tenaglia, Moussa Diarra, Santiago Mourinho, Abdel Abqar, Carlos Vincent, Antonio Blanco (Ander Guevara, 72nd minute), Joan Jordan, Carlos Martin (Stoichkov, 60th minute), Jon Guridi and Kike Garcia
1
Unai Simón, Dani Vivian, Aitor Paredes, Oscar De Marcos, Adama Boiro (Yuri Berchiche, min. 45), Íñigo Ruíz de Galarreta (Mikel Vesga, min. 77), Nico Williams (Álvaro Djaló, min. 77), Unai Gómez (Oihan Sancet, min. 59), Mikel Jauregizar, Iñaki Williams and Alex Berenguer (Gorka Guruzeta, min. 59)
Goals
0-1 min. 9: Unai Gómez. 1-1 min. 66: Joan Jordan
Referee José María Sánchez Martínez
yellow cards
Adama Boiro (min. 19), Antonio Blanco (min. 53), Nahuel Tenaglia (min. 68), Yuri (min. 74)
Athletic went to Mendizorroza with the purpose of continuing their positive streak, so Valverde configured a very similar lineup. Sancet was missing, and Unai Simón returned to the goal, but he did not take any dynamite from the attack, with the Williams on the wings, Berenguer as a hook and Unai Gómez as a false center forward, but who acted as such after 10 minutes, when he broke the Alavés defense diagonally, to receive from Iñaki Williams and score against Sivera.
Athletic played comfortably since then, trying to exploit their wing after Adama saw the yellow card. With his back to the goal, Kike García fought with Vivian and Paredes in an unequal fight, because he played isolated, without connection, at the expense of what he himself could generate, and meanwhile, the red and white team sought speed with its steals and openings to the bands. De Marcos put in a couple of sweet balls that did not find a finisher, and Jauregizar was able to score the second after stealing the ball in the middle of the field, although his shot went high.
Alavés did not get it right with its game, in midfield Galarreta and Jaureguizar controlled the situation, and although Sivera did not have to intervene too much, the ball was always close to their goal. Of course, the Williamses lacked their usual energy. Nico was without spark and Iñaki could barely get rid of Diarra’s marking. However, it was Athletic who ruled the game.
At half-time, Valverde ordered the entry of Yuri in Adama’s place, but the red and white disposition changed little, but in Alavés there was a subtle change compared to the first half. He began to play more courageously, to bite in midfield and supply balls to Kike García, who was a nightmare for Athletic’s centre-backs. The visiting team still had a clear chance in a good cross from Nico that Berenguer missed by centimeters, but from there it was Alavés who insisted on the tie, which came from a drive by Guridi, who found the space to shoot among a forest of legs. His shot was not blocked by Unai Simón and Jordán was ready to tie.
He tried, but fatigue also weighed on the Vitorians; Athletic pushed harder at the end to take the three points, but they lacked the strength and had to settle for a draw.
