Athletic Club - Rayo Vallecano
Matchday 19
Liga

Athletic Club - Rayo Vallecano

Athletic Club
Athletic Club
12
Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano
  • 76' San José
  • Piti (p.) 64'

LocationSan Mamés , Bilbo

Unjust defeat to end the first leg of the Liga

Athletic Club 1 – Rayo Vallecano 2 Athletic Club has finished the first leg of…

Athletic Club

Athletic Club 1 – Rayo Vallecano 2

Athletic Club has finished the first leg of the Liga with a defeat against Rayo Vallecano by 1-2; a match they did not deserve to lose due their game and goal occasions, and whose development also had the add-ons to think that everything was playing against our team. Lass in a fast counterattack and Piti, from a non-existent penalty, gave the lead to the team from Madrid at the start of the second half and San Jose’s goal was just not enough to take the match.

In the first half both teams pressed heavily up front and the game pace has been quick at times, with greater initiative by Athletic Club. In the second half, the first few minutes seemed to indicate that the tendency would continue, but a long ball allowed the players from Vallecas to take the advantage and things got complicated when a linesman was able to convince the referee that his decision, though right, to book Gurpegi with a foul on Domínguez was not such. Textbook penalty, that is of those of placing someone on their knees facing a wall in a corner and holding a textbook in each hand as punishment, and an attempt of a comeback that ran into the wood and several failed attempts, leaving it quite clear that effectiveness is not one of our virtues this current season.

Such as things are our team will begin the second leg of the season in fourteenth place on the table and the difficult task of trying to finish the bad run of three consecutive losses in Seville against Real Betis. San Jose won’t be available as he was booked with his fifth yellow. We will have to wait till Monday, 21 January, to see if it’s possible.