Athletic Club - Real Sociedad

The fortress of San Mamés is reaffirmed with an unquestionable victory against Real Sociedad by 2-0 with goals by Williams and Raúl García, who place Athletic at the top of the classification tied in everything with Sevilla. The team showed that it believes in what it does and the supporters, at the same level of the players,head them to the victory.

Athletic left with the fifth gear set. They  did not give a centimeter to his rival and they achieved their goal soon  in a throw-in, in which Capa was added the third assistance of the season when giving a pass back that Williams sent to the net with the serenity of a real striker.

The lions were not overwhelmed throughout the first half, except for the intrigue generated by the referee to point a penalty that was not from Cordoba to Zaldua. The VAR rectified him. The red-and-white team, guided from the middle by Unai Lopez, did not shake their pulse and put the 2-0 in the 27th minute, when Raul Garcia surprised Moya with a left-hand shot with a thread. San Mamés, who was a pressure cooker, breathtaking, vibrated as it had long ago.

Illarramendi’s injury, which came out limping ovated by the public, hurt the realists. There was even a chance that Athletic would score the third before the half-time. Dani Garcia tried his luck from afar in the restart, the team was still on… Even Williams had another chance in a dropped Muniain in the race.

The Real was against the ropes and appeared another controversial play in a silly action that Isak sent to the net  by a header and that the VAR annulled for offside. Ibai had a chance, but his shot was soft to the hands of Moyà. Clearer was Yuri’s, who put in trouble to the realistic goal. The Real only shot at goal in the last play, in which Odegaard forced Unai Simon to show off.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION:

Athletic Club: Unai Simón; Capa, Yeray, Iñigo Martínez, Yuri Berchiche; Dani García, Unai López; Muniain, Raúl García, Córdoba; and Williams.
Subs: Beñat by Unai López (66′), Ibai by Córdoba (73′) and Aduriz by Williams (86′)

Real Sociedad: Moyà; Zaldua, Zubeldia, Diego Llorente, Aihen Muñoz; Illarramendi. Merino; Januzaj, Odegaard, Oyarzabal; and Willian José.
Subs: Portu for Illarramendi (36′), Isak for Willian José (54′), Sangalli for Januzaj (77′).

Goals:
1-0 M.10. Williams
2-0 M.27. Raul Garcia

Referee: Estrada Fernández (Catalan). He admonished Zaldua (12′), Raúl García (35′), Portu (47′), Córdoba (71′) and Isak (85′).

Stadium: San Mamés 46,697 spectators. A minute’s silence was observed by Xana Martínez, Luis Enrique’s daughter.