Athletic beat Espanyol with a comeback included

Athletic Club beat Espanyol (2-1) this monday in San Mames the match corresponding to 23rd day of LaLiga Santander. The rojiblanco team stands eighth in the standings with 34 points and is approaching the European posts. Villarreal is sixth with 35 points and Atlético de Madrid is fifth with 36 points.

The start of the meeting was frantic. Already in minute three, Espanyol scored 0-1 through Vilhena; the visiting team player finished off a center by Puado from the penalty spot and beat goalkeeper Unai Simón.

The rojiblanco team reacted quickly to the goal of the parakeet team, since in the sixth minute Oihan Sancet put the 1-1 on the scoreboard. The Athletic player received a long pass, was left alone against Diego López and beat the visiting team’s goalkeeper. Initially, the referee disallowed the goal for offside, but the VAR drew the lines and the goal was valid.

Athletic Club was not satisfied with leveling the match and turned the result around in the 16th minute: Berenguer took a free kick from the edge of the area, the ball fell to Vivian, this center, and Iñigo Martínez scored the 2-1 after finishing with a header at the far post.

Two minutes later, Sancet had the third goal for the rojiblancos in his boots, but the Navarrese player was unable to finish off after making a great individual play.

Espanyol tried to go for a draw after seeing their rival’s comeback. The Catalan team created a sense of danger, but it was difficult for them to generate clear scoring chances. Still, Dimata was able to equalize in the 35th minute, but his header went wide. Athletic also had a good opportunity before reaching the break: Berenguer entered the area, left his marker behind with a good dribble, and his shot deflected Óscar Gil to a corner.

In the second half, the rhythm of the game slowed down and scoring chances were scarce. Athletic’s best shot was a very strange one by Embarba towards his own goal, direct to a corner, just before the carousel of the first substitutions. Shortly after, in the 75th minute, Villalibre, just out on the pitch after two and a half months out due to injury, fatally defined a one-on-one with Diego López that he sent well over the crossbar.

With the game about to end, in the 88th minute, Unai Simón appeared to give his team the victory, deflecting a great shot by Darder from the edge of the area for a corner.

Data sheet:

2 – Athletic Club: Unai Simon; Lekue, Vivian, Iñigo Martínez, Balenziaga; Berenguer (Petxarroman, m.64), Zarraga, Dani García (Vesga, m.58), Serrano (Muniain, m.72); Sancet (Villalibre, m.72) and Raúl García (Iñaki Williams, m.64).

1 – RCD Espanyol: Diego Lopez; Óscar Gil, Sergi Gómez (David López, m.63), Cabrera, Pedrosa; Morlanes (Yangel Herrera, m.75); Melendo (Embarba, m.63), Darder, Vilhena (Wu Lei, m.75); Puado and Dimata (Loren, m.63).

Goals: 0-1, m.3: Vilhena. 1-1, m.6: Sancet. 2-1, m.16: Iñigo Martínez.

Referee: César Soto Grado (Riojano Committee). He showed a yellow card to the locals Vesga (m.62), Petxarroman (m.86) and Iñigo Martínez (m.93), and to the visitors Morlanes (m.15), David López (m.70) and Óscar Gil (m.70). m.76).