A derby is football and it’s also feeling. Where talent doesn’t come, heart, courage and pride of ownership do. And in almost all those chapters Mikel Oyarzabal Ugarte It is unique. That is why it continues to be so important for Real even in these times that it is moving towards its best version after recovering from a very long illness. And in a derby, it is directly needed. And it is that the captain participated with a goal or an assist in six of the last seven victories in matches against Athletic. The lord of the derby returns with a shotgun.
This is the most important game of the season for Real and, especially, for the homegrown players who have been absorbing this rivalry for decades. Oyarzabal came from being the starter and scoring the most important goal, the 1-0, against Getafe and that is why he arrived in San Mamés with a boosted morale and ready to lead his squad in another important game. His numbers in derbies are indisputable. Eight wins, two draws and four losses in 14 games against Athletic, which, after Celta, is his second favorite victim, as he has scored six goals (seven against the Galicians).
One of those goals has gone down to posterity and fills the collective imagination on both sides of the A-8: the penalty scored at La Cartuja that led to victory in the Copa del Rey final in 2001. But it, too, was taken He participated in a goal in the victories in 2017/18 (3-1) at Anoeta, in 2018/19 (1-3) at San Mamés (2), where he scored two ‘txitxarros’, from both 2018 /19 in Anoeta (2-1), from 0-1 in San Mamés in 2020/21 for his help in For your and in a 3-1 draw on January 14 of this year, with his first goal since injury, from the penalty spot. Every time the man from Eibar scores in a derby, Real wins.
Additionally, with that goal he scored against Getafe after missing a penalty, he is approaching his usual scoring average, his entire career. Add three goals in 922 minutes on this course, a whopping 307 minutes. If he scores in Bilbao, he will accept his usual average, one every 267 minutes and enter the top 5 of realists with the most goals in the Liga (67), equal to baker.
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.
