Athletic Club beat Levante (3-1) and enter the fight for Europe

Athletic Club beat Levante 3-1 in San Mamés this Monday, March 7, in the match corresponding to the 27th day of LaLiga Santander and the rojiblanco team, with 40 pointsit is located four points from the positions that give access to European competitions. The Real Sociedad is sixth in the standings, with 44 points.

The local team took possession of the ball from the start and soon began to generate scoring chances. In the 12th minute, Iñaki William was left alone against goalkeeper Cárdenas, but the goalkeeper prevented the local striker’s goal after clearing his shot. Later, Athletic generated up to four occasions to score in just two minutes, from 28 to 30. In the first, a good shot by Sancet was met by a great Cárdenas; in the second, a header by Iñigo Martínez was cleared by Miramón under the goal line; in the third, Berenguer ran into the crossbar after his cross shot hit Cárdenas; and the fourth was diverted to Yuri.

After the chances of the rojiblanco team, Levante responded, first with a shot from the edge of Morales that crashed into the crossbar, and a shot at the near post by Roger, to the center of De Frutos.

A couple of headers from Sancet and Iñigo Martínez that did not find a goal and Morales’ injury in the 44th minute gave way to the break with a scoreboard that reflected a goalless draw (0-0).

After the break, Athletic continued looking for the goal that would open the scoring. At the start of the second half, Berenguer and Iñaki Williams tried it with two shots, but failed to hit the target. But at the third time it was a loser and in the 63rd minute Vesga scored 1-0 after finishing off a great cross by Berenguer from the right on the far post.

Athletic’s goal made the dominance of Marcelino García Toral’s men even greater, and it didn’t take long for the locals’ second goal to arrive, through an excellent pass from Berenguer to Iñaki Williams on the counterattack and the striker from Bilbao did not forgive this time against the rival goalkeeper (2-0).

At minute 87 Zarraga rounded off the red and white victory (3-1) converting the penalty from eleven meters that Pepelu did to himself in a great play against Nico Williams, whom no one could stop after receiving from Unai Simón.

Now that the time is up, Jorge de Frutos put the final 3-1 on the scoreboard after leaving behind De Marcos and Vivian, and surpassing Simón with a subtle picadita.

Data sheet:

3 – Athletic Club: Unai Simon; De Marcos, Yeray, Iñigo Martínez (Vivian, m.55), Yuri; Berenguer, Vencedor (Petxarroman, m.78), Vesga, Muniain (Nico Williams, m.73); Sancet (Zarraga, m.73) and Iñaki Williams (Villalibre, m.78).

1 – Raise: Cardenas; Miramón, Rober, Duarte, Cáceres (Cantero, m.71), Son (Franquesa, m.84); Pepelu, Melero (Malsa, m.71); De Frutos, Morales (Bardhi, m.47+) and Roger (Dani Gómez, m.84).

Goals: 1-0, m.63: Vesga. 2-0, m.76: Iñaki Williams. 3-0, m.87: Zarraga, from a penalty. 3-1, m.91: Of Fruits.

Referee: Alejandro Muñíz Ruiz (Galician Committee). He showed a yellow card to the local Berenguer (m.14) and to the visitors Miramón (m.20) and Son (m.37).

VAR Referee: Iglesias Villanueva (Galician Committee).