Athletic Club - Villarreal CF

Athletic Club Women beat Villarreal CF 2-1 in their Primera Iberdrola Matchday 7 fixture at Lezama. The Lionesses maintain a great run in which they have picked up 16 points from a possible 21.

Peke and Erika Vázquez led Athletic to victory with a couple of goals in the first half. The Lionesses were able to withstand an onslaught from the Castellón-based side in the second half.

Iraia Iturregi’s team came flying out of the blocks, playing with much intensity in the opening period. Peke opened the scoring with a superb long-range effort in the seventh minute. Villarreal’s Pamela Tajonar could do nothing as the striker fired the ball into the top corner of the net.

Shortly afterwards, Erika could have made it 2-0, but her shot at the near post crashed against the side netting. However, the veteran striker made up for it in the 24th minute when she double the Lionesses’ lead.

A smart one-two with midfiedler Itxaso saw Erika go through on goal and she prodded the ball past the keeper.

With the exception of a shot from Vera on the stroke of half-time, Villarreal CF barely set foot in Athletic’s box in the first 45.

At the start of the second half, the game changed course. Villarreal began to play without fear and were much improved.

They pulled one back in the 48th minute, Sara Medina converting a free kick. Athletic keeper Quiñones got her fingertips to the ball but could not stop it from going in.

The Lionesses reacted well to the goal and continued to create chances, with both Lucía García and Ane Azkona troubling the vistors’ defence.

The latter had a great chance when she got a head to Ainhoa Moraza’s cross from the left flank. In the 70th minute, in a similar move, Erika failed to connect well with Peke’s cross from the left.

Iturregi’s team were desperate to kill the game. In the 75th minute, Peke got hold of a rebound from a corner, but her powerful shot went over over the crossbar.

Although the Yellows tried to find space in behind Athletic’s defence as they pushed for an equaliser, but the Lionesses stayed strong at the back.

In the 85th minute, Lucía’s went through one-on-one but couldn’t find the back of the net, and Mariana Cerro went close to scoring a third.

The scoreboard remained unchanged and Athletic Club took three more points that leave them third in Primera Iberdrola, and in the Champions League qualification spots, before another long break in play.