Athletic Club - CA Osasuna

Athletic Club have finally secured the victory they were seeking. Fighting tooth and nail, relying on their fans and a fantastic Unai Simon, Ernesto Valverde’s men have defeated CA Osasuna thanks to another goal from Gorka Guruzeta, who now has 15 goals to his name. The Lions now have six matchdays to look ahead, one game at a time, with the passion and commitment they have shown on this difficult afternoon.

The Bilbao side, with a fantastic crowd lifting the team when they were in control of the game and supporting them when they came under pressure in the second half, forged their victory in the first half. They started very well, with a penalty awarded by Victor Garcia Verdura for a handball by Torro that was overturned following a VAR review, and they broke the deadlock after a quarter of an hour.

It came from a throw-in that caught Osasuna off guard; Berenguer played a through ball into space for Nico Williams, and the loose ball from Sergio Herrera’s clearance following the winger’s shot was slotted home by Guruzeta, playing as a true number nine.

The Lions, with Yeray back at San Mames, could have scored a second from a superb lay-off by the striker, which Berenguer narrowly fired wide. Osasuna couldn’t find a way to get the better of Athletic.

The second half was a different story. VAR alerted the referee to a handball by Yeray following a shot by Boyono, and Simón saved the penalty taken by the second.