Athletic didn’t deserve to lose on Thursday against Sevilla, but they did. The lions did a lot of things right. Pretty bad too. Here are some of the positives.
1. Sixth place still depends on Athletic itself
The heavy defeat against Sevilla left Athletic catching up with Betis in the table and even overtook them in sixth position even on points. Mendilibar’s team did Pellegrini a big favor midway through the April Fair. Beyond the result, Valverde’s men continue to be confident of themselves with eight days to go before the end of the League to pick up sixth place, a place that gives them the right to compete next season in Europe League. The Verdiblancos visit the leader today and the lions visit Mallorca on Monday. On Thursday they are both mentioned at 10 pm in San Mamés.
2. Without giving the opponent a chance all night
Athletic was on a good defensive level against Sevilla, despite the fact that their successful work in stoppage time was blown up by the stupid and controversial penalty on Ocampos in injury time. Until then Unai Simón was just another spectator. Vivian and Yeray, injured again by Iñigo Martínez, got along well when it came to blocking En-Nesyri. De Marcos and Yuri, for their part, also know how to close their wings and offer attacking solutions. The work of the two pivots, Dani García and Ander Herrera on this occasion, was excellent, although it declined as the minutes passed.
3. Offensive vocation from start to finish
Mendilibar warned him before his visit to Seville in San Mamés: “Athletic is trying to outdo you”. So it is. The lions came out in full force from the initial whistle and the crowd from Seville on the ropes at certain stages of the match. For a matter of millimeters, those who separated the offside from the legal position in the annulled goals to Nico Williams and Guruzeta in the first quarter of an hour of the clash, his bet did not pay off. Sevilla, with a good squad, knew how to grind their back teeth and ended up controlling and beating the lions, despite showing no signs of life in attack.
4. 42,716 viewers on Thursday at 10 pm
The match against Sevilla served to record that Athletic fans were hooked on Valverde’s team. There was a certain fear in the club about what would be the response of rojiblanca fans to a game that will be held on Thursday at 10 pm. Capacity exceeded expectations. 42,716 spectators came to San Mamés to see their team in action. A good number of them, yes, started to leave the stadium a few minutes before the referee whistled the end, so he was left without seeing the goal of his team’s defeat. Not all Athletic fans live in the center of Bilbao.
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.
