Two points in the last nine possible. Just a few home draws after the last league break. From the quarterfinals after the victory against Alavés in San Mamés with a one-point advantage over Atlético de Madrid on matchday 29 to fifth place on matchday 32, three behind the colchoneros, what they are doing now in Mendizorrotza is also pending.
Athletic’s league outlook took an important turn a month later. The truth in the so-called tournament of regularity is what it is, although we must not ignore the fact that in the middle of this downward slope the lions have been proclaimed champions of the Cup A title that also carries the European classification of anticipation the next season.
The return to competition after the last league break ended with a more or less predictable defeat at the Bernabéu against leaders Real Madrid. Days later came the final of La Cartuja in Seville against Mallorca, which was well settled in a penalty shootout. The reunion in domestic competition took place eight days later after a week full of celebrations, with Gabarra.
Athletic, after all, knew how to compete against Marcelino’s Villarreal in the Liga reunion. Everything went well for the red and white interests when a very debatable, if not non-existent, penalty allowed the yellows to tie in extra time. That’s why Parejo was able to level the goal that Sancet scored earlier.
After this bad situation and the cup victory, Valverde’s men returned to compete in San Mamés with the aim of closing the gap and putting pressure on Atlético. The visit of almost relegated Granada seems like a good chance to get back on the victory train. Nothing could be further from reality.
More of the same
The Nasrid team went all out and within six minutes they were in control of the scoreboard. The lions gradually took control of the situation and even managed to tie up Guruzeta, their current killer, but the reaction did not give them much more. The Nasrid team offered a higher level in Bilbao than their poor qualifying situation. Athletic, on the contrary.
Not everything is the merit of the rival, both Granada and Villarreal, but there are also many demerits for themselves and the referee on duty. Iglesias Villanueva’s refereeing level on Friday was the same as Cuadra Fernández’s a few days before against Marcelino’s team. As strange as it may seem, Valverde was even reprimanded for protesting one of his decisions.
The refereeing factor, in any case, should not be a reason to justify the two consecutive draws that the lions achieved in their League re-union after being crowned Cup champions. The coach from Gasteiz used almost his entire squad without achieving the expected result.
Notable, above all, are the variations carried out in the so-called engine room. Galarreta’s suspension led Valverde to select Prados and Vesga against Villarreal, although both were substituted and spent the entire match against Granada on the bench.
The bet against the Nasrid team for Galarreta himself and Unai Gómez did not quite provide the balance Athletic needed to face a clash against a rival on the brink of relegation. Ander Herrera’s departure on both occasions provided clarity and creativity, but did not translate into enough superiority to win outright.
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.
