Alavés 2 Athletic Club 4: A great step forward

A great step forward, that which was taken by Athletic Club in Gasteiz after defeating Alavés by 2-4 in the derbi at Mendizorrotza. It was a nice match, full of occasions and alternatives, both in the playing and on the scoreboard. The locals came into the game with the intention of obtaining a result that would bring them out of places of descent, creating occasions and putting on the pressure, but as the minutes passed the ´rojiblancos’ began to shake off the pressure, and after Yeste’s goal they had their best minutes. Unfortunately, a couple of mistakes by the defence brought about the 2-1(Magno and Astudillo) in just a couple of minutes and, until the half-time Athletic had lost control of the match. In the second half, the start belonged to Alavés, however, on Athetic’s first occasion, Urzaiz shot a header from center from Ezquerro. This finished Alavés, even more so with Magno’s second red card. Subsequently, Joseba Etxebarria would score the third and beautiful fourth goal – which give him 13 goals scored in the Liga, so far. The team achieves its seventh consecutive win; in the last three away matches, has obtained 12 goals.
To round off the day, an outline of wins: Bilbao-Athletic have won the right to play the ascension phase into Second Division A. The triumph by Baskonia (which makes them Third Division group champions, and which gives them the right to play for ascension into Second Division B); and the Under-12s defeat over Real Madrid, by 1-0, to classify for the final phase of the Spanish Championship, which will be played in June.