A goal from Asier Villalibre in the 96th minute of the match equaled Athletic Club’s clash this Saturday against Osasuna in San Mamés at two goals, a match that, despite that tie at the end, leaves the Champions League almost impossible for the team. Bilbao team.
Osasuna took the lead with two goals at the end of the first half and the beginning of the second from Raúl García de Haro and Rubén García, and Athletic tied it at two with goals from Iñaki Williams at the hour mark, his 100th goal for the team rojibanco, and Villalibre, who still had the option to score 3-2 in the penultimate play of the clash.
This 2-2, still saving a point on the hour, keeps Athletic fifth in the table, five points behind fourth, an Atlético de Madrid that hosts Celta this Sunday with only three more games left to play.
It was a very eventful clash with many dangerous arrivals in which the visiting team was more successful, making up for a somewhat dull end to the season with this result, and the local team being more insistent.
With the two coaches, Ernesto Valverde and Jagoba Arrasate, replaced by their assistants Jon Aspiazu and Bittor Alkiza due to the red cards seen the previous day, the match began with a lot of rhythm and initial dominance by Osasuna.
However, the first dangerous approach was from Athletic, a wall in the center between Nico and Muniain that the red defense reached at the last moment.
Osasuna responded with a very clear opportunity born in a bad transfer of Berenguer to their defense. The Navarrese handed the ball to Rubén García so that he could face Simón in a one-on-one match, but first Lekue arrived in a splendid return to recover the ball.
The great surprise of the red-and-white eleven, Lekue at left centre-back, was thus validated as successful.
Even in the frenetic first minutes, Iñaki Williams opened the scoring after a ride from the left, after receiving from Yuri, who started offside, as established by the VAR. That he invalidated it.
Two other goals were also invalidated from the VOR room before the break. One, clearly offside, from Raúl for Osasuna and another, also offside but tighter, from Muniain in the small area after a pass from a Berenguer who began his run after Nico’s previous pass, also in an illegal situation.
In the middle of both goals, in the 17th and 38th minutes – the first disallowed for Williams was in the 6th minute -, several dangerous centers from Williams and De Marcos that did not find finishers and a couple of headers in good positions from Ibáñez and Rubén García , to centers from Areso and Rubén Peña, who came out high.
When San Mamés was still celebrating its captain Muniain’s goal, disallowed long after it occurred, Raúl this time made it 0-1 by deflecting a strong cross from Mojica from the edge of the small area.
That minimal visitor advantage became a large one as soon as the second half began, when Rubén García resolved perfectly against Unai Simón after taking advantage of an indecision by Herrera and De Marcos. Rubén thus got rid of the thorn of the missed opportunity in the first half.
It was Athletic’s turn and Williams, with his 100th goal for Athletic, closed the gap on Sergio Herrera’s right corner with a violent shot. It had been the other Herrera, Ander, who had recovered the ball after an error in Mojica’s release of the ball. Iñaki was very leaning but the ball came out like a howitzer.
Before the clash dragged on with massive changes that were not carried out, Athletic was able to tie with a long pass from Yuri to Unai Gómez. The left-footed youth player controlled well at first but then hit him on the other leg and Herrera overtook him leaving the small area.
And he was also able to do it after the carousel of substitutions in a Prados center that De Marcos, alone at the penalty spot, volleyed high with everything in his favor.
Athletic still had more chances in injury time, all from Villalibre. The first, a good header at the far post from Williams’ center, caught Herrera well positioned and attentive; In the second he took advantage of a blocking error by the visiting goalkeeper to tie it at two; and in the third he didn’t make it 3-2 because his shot came out too close.