• LaLiga.Classification of First

Now that Ernesto Valverde is cannon fodder a few kilometers further east, his name comes to mind in Bilbao. Not as a sad longing, which was what happened the first and a half season after his goodbye, but quite the opposite. Txingurri is no longer missed in San Mamés because Athletic has finally found what marked that four-year period of fat cows. As then Valverde, now Gaizka Garitano has achieved some ethereal description, but easily recognizable. His Athletic is pure security and that has to do with football, of course, but above all with an iron confidence that he will take the matches forward. He is not the most virtuous of the place, but Athletic does not need him to fall in love with his spirit, his solidity and his determination. 11 points in five days, with a single goal against, give good faith that the season is coming exciting in San Mamés. [Narration and statistics: 2-0]

Before an opponent always harsh as the Alavés, cut with the usual pattern of the teams that choke the most, Athletic added three points that do not admit an answer. Those of Gaizka Garitano were better from beginning to end, marking the only two goals of the match and preventing the Alavés from even approaching the goal of Simón , who lived a placid match as few before the team of his land. A Alavés who must make a deep self-criticism after his candid staging in Bilbao.

The uncertainty of the VAR

There are things about the VAR that are still difficult to understand. There was no better sample than the one seen in San Mamés. Gil Manzano spent three minutes waiting to be told what to do before a possible Duarte penalty on Williams . The decision, finally, was that he approached the monitor to see the play. Something that could have indicated to him at 20 seconds, but that kept the match stopped for a long time. In the end, Gil Manzano amended himself and after reviewing the play he indicated a penalty that Raúl García was responsible for transforming.

38 minutes had passed by then without too much history. The Alavés raised in San Mamés the expected, a very defensive tactic, with a line of four and another of five to prevent the advances of a Athletic more forced to take the initiative with the ball of what he likes. The rojiblanco team was constantly trying to find the connection of Williams and Muniain , who continued on the right wing despite the fact that Ibai replaced Córdoba in the initial eleven.

Athletic suffered from its usual lack, more structural than tactical, missing more capacity to move the ball with speed and precision, but did not suffer from an ultra-defensive Alavés. The penalty goal rewarded the biggest initiative of the locals and pissed off the Vitorians, convinced that Duarte did not commit a foul on Williams, as the referee had appreciated in the first instance.

Muniain goal

However, the Alavés failed to do what he owed, which was to increase his performance in attack. The second half seemed too much like the first for albiazules interests. Muniain went on to play, now for the left wing, and helped grow a more comfortable Athletic in general with that provision. The captain would end up scoring the second goal, but before that he stayed inches from the goal and subsequently missed a very clear shot, after an exceptional play by Williams.

The battering ram was the best of the second half, stamping a shot on the crosshead and putting together the play that was the second goal. His center was impaled by Ibai in volley and after a huge paradox of Pacheco , Muniain successfully fought for the rejection to finally sentence the victory of an Athletic who begins to believe that he can do important things this season.

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