With morale on the ground and the infirmary in full blow and bang. The outlook for Athletic does not look bleak on the eve of the first leg of the Cup semifinal against Osasuna at El Sadar. Football is football, as Boskov said, and Valverde’s troops, in any case, have already shown their competitive genes in the so-called KO tournament.
The recent defeat against Girona in San Mamés revealed some shortcomings of the Bilbao team. Míchel’s team made the right reading of his visit to Bilbao’s stadium before the ball even started rolling. “You have to make them run backwards,” said the Madrid coach of the Catalan team in the preview. Nothing more said and done.
The lions were unmatched in the beginning and, despite their efforts, they were unable to overcome adversity. Luck was also elusive for him as the unexpected loss of Nico Williams was compounded by Unai Simón, Yeray, Morcillo and even Raúl García, who despite an arm injury, stayed on the pitch until the final whistle.
Meanwhile, Osasuna knocked out Sevilla at Pizjuán in a similar measure to Girona at San Mamés. Arrasate threw a rotation and the bet went well. Tomorrow, in any case, is another day.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
