It was enough with a practically impeccable first half so that Athletic claimed its supremacy in the Basque derby (2-0), something that had not happened in its last four clashes against Real Sociedad. 45 minutes of pure 'garitanismo', of suffocating and precise pressure, of constant intensity, of backlash speed, of centers and shots, that drive the rojiblanco team in this beginning of the League that unleashes the euphoria in Bilbao and leaves a good handful of doubts in San Sebastian and a great concern in the form of ugly ankle injury of Illarramendi.

Of course, if this game had been played two seasons ago perhaps this chronicle would have been very different. Because despite its inferiority throughout the match, it was the VAR that prevented the Royal from benefiting from the calamitous arbitration of Estrada Fernández, who in the first instance granted Alguacil's penalty out of the area and an offside goal. But beyond the arbitration aspect, the statistics spoke for themselves about what happened in San Mamés: Athletic fired 15 times a and Real only two.

Garitano has his staff in a state of grace. There is Capa, who has become in this league start in the Athletic assistant. And it is still curious, since in the last season he did not add a goal pass and in this he has served the first three goals of the season. After Aduriz and Raúl García, it was Williams who took advantage of the state of grace of the side, who after leaning on Muniain in a throw-in, beat Aihen to put the ball in the area and propitiate the low shot of the rojiblanco battering ram, free of Mark between three defenders.

The goal was a blow for Real, who spent the entire first half disoriented, deeply uncomfortable against a superior Athletic in all facets, but especially in intensity and concentration. He had a clear opportunity for compensation the whole Sheriff in a Zaldua boarding school halted by Cordoba. The referee, in the first instance, considered that he had been inside the area and sanctioned a penalty, but the VAR corrected him after four endless minutes of stoppage.

From there, everything went worse for Real. At the second goal of Athletic, an exquisite chopped shot by Raúl García from the front towards Moyá's squad, who could barely touch the ball, was added half an hour after Illarramendi's injury. I was shocked to see Captain Txuriurdin on the ground, with his battered ankle and then unable to support him when he retired. Sheriff took advantage of the injury to put more wood with the entrance of Portu, but the only thing he achieved was to break even more to a Real that could go to rest with some more goal against and even stay with 10, possibility with which Zaldua played in The first quarter of an hour.

After the break, Real improved the tone a lot, although he continued to run into a well-equipped Athletic and cold-blooded so that the situation did not get out of hand. In an isolated play, however, Isak scored a goal after a clash between Simón and Iñigo Martínez. Again, the VAR saved Athletic by warning Estrada that the Swede was offside.

Not counting that play, since it was not worth it, the Real was unable to make a single shot throughout the match until in the 84th minute Sangalli, the Txuriurdin hero of the derby last year who had just left the field for a disappointing Januzaj In the last minutes, with the Real already unconsciously rendered, the third of Athletic was closer than that of the honor of the San Sebastian. But nothing else happened in a second part that was completely left over because Athletic had already done the homework in the first. And very well indeed.

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