Athletic Club - Real Sporting de Gijón

Athletic Club defeated Sporting by 3-0 in San Mamés. Llorente, from a penalty, Iraola and David Lopez scored the goals.

A clear victory in the first half, with three goals in just a half hour, as well as good and intelligent game on start-up of play. This is how we can summarize the third straight win in San Mamés and without conceding any goals, though since happiness is not always complete, we have that bitter point after witnessing Gurpegi’s collision with the rival goalie which caused our player a broken nose; a collision that for a while had fans in San Mamés rather worried.

And they did it in an encounter gathered all the ingredients: goals, power, effort, offensive game on the part of both teams, an incessant rain, heavy field… and an team, ours, that little by little is moving up on the table, though mathematically there’s still a long way to go.

Despite the fact that the first opportunities have been for Sporting, Athletic Club soon took the reins of the match, a subscriber to the good habit of the last matches of scoring relatively soon in San Mamés. Serenity and effectiveness arrive sooner at the hand of a goal and, on this occasion, they were settled by the minute 4 of play when the referee, irregular yesterday, indicated a penalty on Llorente. Between pushes and shoves, the forward was run over, though he immediately got up to move ahead of Iraola and David Lopez to move into place to strike. After all the nonsense and no card for Cuéllar for trying to break up the crowd in the penalty area, the forward smoothly and cold-heartedly scored down the middle.

After the one-nil, Athletic stuck to its way of playing, deep balls, more times down the wing than in other matches and fast triangulations that allowed approaching the rival’s area in three or four passes. On one of these occasions, Susaeta chose a forced shot with the right instead of shooting with the left while running and the ball has gone wide. The opponent, with the usual 4-2-3-1, but surprisingly without Bilic in the starting line-up (coaches are like that everywhere, that’s why they are bosses), tried it with deep balls, but couldn’t find options except from set plays, like a skirmish that ended up in corner.

Our team on the contrary, despite the rain which became more intense as the match progressed, was making sparks fly from strategy. In another corner, the favourable pass by Lopez was headed by Llorente, at the far post Ion Vélez, also with a header, shot it into the 6-yard box where Iraola, together with two defenders, pushed it into the net; two to nil, and good match management.

On the opposite end, Sporting was leaving behind shreds of confidence, although Barral tried shortly before the third local goal, but his shot went wide. Athletic was doing their thing, set well behind, and very perceptive. On the half of play, Yeste set up David Lopez who shot on goal with his right as the ball approached him. Three-nil, and following that another occasion by David himself which ended up in corner and a header by Llorente right into Cuéllar’s hands. Before the break, Barral tried it again; however, though Iraizoz was able to make the save, Ocio was under woods to clear.

Preciado tried it again after the break with a double substitution, Bilic and Michel in for Carmelo and Matabuena. He placed his men in a clear 4-4-2, with the Bilic-Barral forward duo, though as useless as the previous scheme for his interests. In contrast, Athletic seemed determined on breaking the negative topics that surround it: allowing many goals, not winning at home, starting second periods rather coldly…, and faced the re-start of play with no inhibitions, though fortune was not smiling at them facing the goal in a header by Iraola turned away to corner by Cuéllar, nor in a shot by Vélez deflected by the rival goalie and which Susaeta, who turned 21 years old, was unable to nail, in a good play by Llorente who after tackling two rivals just outside the area barely missed wide or in another header of his caught by Cuéllar.

Sporting only had one occasion, by Pedro when he shot a line drive in the minute 63 and the ball was stopped by Iraizoz, and by the time anyone noticed the half of the second period had passed and the match seemed decided, since Athletic also appeared very sure in all the high balls and allowed few luxuries. In the heat of the celebration, Gurpegi’s well-known enthusiasm lead him to go after a difficult ball with all his might and the play ended roughly for both midfielder and goalkeeper. An undeserved finish to a match like those that fans enjoy watching, especially when Athletic wins comfortably, that leaves good sensations and for the fifth time no goals allowed, four of them in San Mamés.

A duel justifiably won against the team that, along with FC Barcelona, better statistics had as a visitor, which will without a doubt not prevent some of the many that have this week hammered us with the virtues of Preciado’s men from saying and writing that Sporting is more or less a group of friends. This is also how football is, with its happy and sad facets in the same match, with those that leave and always appear better from afar, with the chances the opponent gives when they play against us, with the goals that are only missed in San Mamés, but our team must have something that makes it climb positions little by little, although, we insist, the road is still long and difficult, full of dangers and limitations. For now let us stay with the fact that Betis is a rival that plays football well and closing the year with a victory will be a complicated task, but challenges are also a part of football and overcoming opponents day after day is one of them. Let it be!