A new hammer. Red-and-white fans are once again excited about their team after two consecutive wins against Cádiz and Atlético and the draw against Valencia at San Mamés. These results are placed in the group of Marcellin at the gate of seventh position, a point behind Villarreal. The meeting in Granada is a new opportunity to take the necessary steps towards securing a place to play in the Conference League next season, the third European tournament.
But the New Los Cármenes match was a new disappointment. Athletic failed again as it did the other time it had a chance to fully enter the continental fight. Nothing new. This happened later. The first time came on matchday 24 after beating the Spanish at San Mamés, a victory that left seventh place behind by one point and sixth place two. The men from Bilbao lost to Mallorca in Son Moix (3-2) and moved two units from first position and five from second.
The next occasion came to Benito Villamarín after beating Levante in Bilbao. The local team got the victory thanks to the single goal recorded by Borja Iglesias and the Lions remained 5 points from seventh, the largest gap, and 7 from sixth.
Then came the draw against Getafe at home in a match in which the Bilbao team deserved more and the victory against Elche that put the team back in orbit. The game at La Cerámica was a chance to beat Villarreal, the rival in the second round to achieve the goal set at the start of the season. The yellows and rojiblanco tied into one and it still went on as before.
The defeat against Celta on matchday 32 (0-2) was a severe blow to be accepted, as the team was in their power to re-present their candidacy for Europe. Marcelino apologized to the fans for the fight. “This field does not deserve to witness what we have done today. They beat us in a very clear way and pass us by. This is the third worst game of the season after the ones we played against Rayo and Cádiz ”, said the Spaniard in the press room of San Mamés.
Severe defeat against Celta
Athletic fell four points behind the Conference and seemed to have run out of options, but the team bounced back in three consecutive games, with two consecutive wins against Cádiz (2-3) and Atlético (2- 0) and an tie with Valencia that once again sowed hope in the final stages of the League. The Lions are again one point behind Villarreal and four behind Real.
The European window has re -opened wide, but to proceed with the options it is necessary to win in Los Cármenes. The appointment against Granada was a new disappointment, both for the result and for the image the team offered. The set of Aitor Karanka they surpassed the Biscayans in intensity and Athletic did not give the impression that a goal as valuable as returning to Europe after four years without achieving it had been played. The visitors had only one clear chance at scoring, the bang on the pole Raul Garcia in extension time with the team forced to look back in search of the equalizer and Unai Simon climb to finish.
It finally ended up being worth the goal Alex Collado in a serious defensive mistake made half an hour into the game. “To play in Europe you have to do more things than you do now. Adding one point to the six possible, it is difficult to achieve the goal ”, he acknowledged. Marcellin at the end of the meeting. The reality is that things have gotten complicated and now the team is at the expense of what Villarreal is doing now at Vallecas.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
