Athletic Club - RCD Espanyol

Athletic Club lost 1-2 to a rampant RCD Espanyol at San Mames on Monday night. It's a defeat which has put the brakes on Athletic's hopes of climbing the table in pursuit of European places.

The Lions did not deserve to lose given the flurry of chances they created, but they fell victim to their own mistakes and surrendered a match they were winning.

After an impressive minute's silence for the late painter Iñaki García Ergüin, Athletic set about dominating the clash.

Espanyol's keeper Marko Dmitrovic kept the Catalans in it from the start with two great saves to deny Gorosabel and Alex Berenguer. The winger had another chance in which Athletic claimed a possible penalty for a foul by Carlos Romero.

Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta tried his luck with a left-footed shot that went just wide, before Roberto Fernández threatened to open the scoring at the other end.

Eventually Athletic took the lead thanks to some tenacious work by Berenguer, who pounced on a loose ball in the box to score past Dmitrovic.

The match seemed to be going Athletic's way, but Romero knocked the wind out of their sails with a great effort from outside the box just before half-time.

A defensive mistake in the 52nd minute allowed Tyrhys Dolan to set up Pere Milla to make it 1-2. Jofre Carreras and Kike García, the latter forcing a good save from Unai Simón, could have increased the lead. Athletic fought until the end and had a handful of chances to equalise, with Gorka Guruzeta, Oihan Sancet and Unai Gómez all going close.

The players now have a bit of time to clear their heads during the winter break before returning to the fight for European places against Osasuna in Pamplona on January 3.