Athletic Club - Villarreal CF

Athletic Club are unstoppable. Their 2-0 win over Marcelino's Villarreal marked a fourth consecutive league victory, a fifth when including Europe.

Aitor Paredes, with a textbook header, and Iñaki Williams, on a lightning counter-attack, got the Zurigorri's goals at San Mames.

Athletic keep sticking to their own game, it doesn't matter if it's thundering or raining, or if there are obstacles in the way.

This is a solid and determined team. They went for the win from the outset and made it 1-0 in the 14th minute. Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta's corner found Paredes, who thumped in a huge header from at the near post.

San Mames breathed a sigh of relief in the 20th minute when Pape Gueye's goal from an Alex Baena cross was ruled out for offside after a VAR check.

Athletic were able to hang on and endure when the visitors had their best chances. In between efforts from Alex Berenguer and Iñaki Williams, Gueye had another opportunity, while Julen Agirrezabala produced a brilliant stop to deny Yeremy Pino.

After Santi Comesaña fired a warning shot, Galarreta and Williams foreshadowed what was to come when the no.9 was played into space but couldn't get the better of Diego Conde.

Four minutes later, in the 69th minute, Paredes launched a counter, which Oihan Sancet helped on to Iñaki, and in a similar action, the striker scored past Conde, who injured his knee in the process.

The game seemed more likely to finish 3-0 than 2-1, with Athletic looking very comfortable and Gerard Moreno coming off after being hit in the face by a close-range shot from one of his teammates. 

Even the heavy downpour did little to dampen the Athleticzales spirits as the Lions saw out their final home match of the year in style.

Athletic are now six points clear of Villarreal in the LaLiga standings, with the Yellows having two games in hand.