Athletic ended the final week of the competition with three completely different results. It all started with the league defeat at the Mestalla against Valencia, the victory and qualification for the semi-finals of the Cup against Barça and yesterday’s draw at Cádiz. Only two players from the red and white first team who were in proper physical condition to face these three matches were left without participating in any of them: Munian and Nolaskoain. Amazing.
Valverde launched a massive rotation yesterday to face the new challenge in the league. Seven changes with respect to the Mestalla starting eleven from the previous day of the League and another seven in relation to the Cup quarterfinal match against Barça in San Mamés. Lekue and Vivian are the only two Lions to return to the starting lineup for the third consecutive time. Paredes, one of the untouchables for some time, was replaced this time by the recovered Yeray.
Iker Muniain, one of the fixtures at Athletic in recent years, remained on the bench yesterday despite the many changes introduced by the Gasteiz coach. Navarrese, who started this League against Madrid as a starter in midfield, this time shared the bench with Sancet, the usual this season in that position, while the young Unai Gómez was chosen to play with Villalibre in ahead. .
Valverde has also used on previous occasions the services of the team captain to play on the wing, especially on the left, but it was not the alternative chosen to play in Cádiz in that position with Nico Williams in reserve. The Athletic coach, as in the recent cup duel against Barça, chose Adu Ares, another young lion, to play as a winger. Muniain stayed on the bench again.
There are no options
The red and white captain watched from the Nuevo Mirandilla bench as Yuri, Jauregizar and Sancet completed the first round of substitutions in the Bilbao side. Then, playing Adu Ares, Nico Williams. The fifth and final change consisted of replacing Guruzeta with Villalibre.
Complicated ballot, no doubt, for Muniain, an emblem of the current Athletic. Valverde has not seen him recently as a striker next to the center forward of the shift, or attached to one of the wings. In Cádiz he again spent the entire match on the bench.
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.
