Direct Narration and statistics
In the absence of Messi, good is Memphis. And although said like this, in crude oil and without vaseline, the phrase that opens this chronicle sounds like sacrilege, since there is no possible comparison between a great striker and who may be the best ever, Barcelona served last night to rescue a point in a classic in San Mamés that at times became a torture for Koeman's group. He took a point from Bilbao, but above all he carried his backpack of doubts, some with a clear name -Eric García, who ended up expelled, and Griezmann- and others of more collective responsibility, since the hypotension of his football reached all his glasses blood except Memphis himself. And Athletic, always impetuous and even full at times, only cursed, in a notable encounter, his endemic lack of wisdom,the one that prevented him from fastening with triumph a night of magic in San Mamés.
Because above all, the goals and the result, it was a night for the celebration in Bilbao, as life sprang up again through Licenciado Poza street towards the esplanade of fraternization that surrounds San Mamés, a temple closed tight for 18 months, open at last although only
9,000 privileged people
could verify it in person. The merriment is also worthwhile, because there is still a lot left for the Cathedral to once again gather all its faithful and also for a day like yesterday to end in the
txosnas
of the Semana Grande, keeping for months, without knowing very well how , the glitter of the k
onpartsa Pinpilinpauxa
in the most unsuspected parts of the body. For all this we will still have to wait, but it is satisfying to see how our lives recover lost certainties, few like that of the passion that boils in San Mamés during a classic.
Athletic responded to the emotion of the longed-for reunion, erasing with a stroke of the pen the poor sensations it offered in its premiere against Elche. From the first minute, his greater intensity and determination served to annul a pale Barça, with serious problems to get the ball played -
Ter Stegen's
shadow
is long -, without presence between the lines of
Pedri
,
De Jong
and
Griezmann
and condemned for the imbalance in the individual duel between
Williams
and Eric García. Agile, dynamic and sharp, the Athletic striker only missed a goal in the first half and had an ideal opportunity to do so after 18 minutes, but he was too slow to put together a frank shot. De Jong saved him.
At Barça, the only connection that seemed to work was that drawn by
Jordi Alba
and
Memphis
when the Dutchman dropped down the left side.
Apart from the goal of the final draw, Memphis returned to leave details of hope for the culé fans, such as a wonderful action at seven minutes in which he took the colors out of Iñigo Martínez.
Braithwaite's blunder prevented the play from succeeding.
The red one to Eric García
Only in the final minutes of the first half did Koeman's team shake off the sticky local pressure. In fact, he came to close the opening act with a Chilean goal from Araujo - who replaced Piqué, injured in the hip - after half an hour, but
Martínez Munuera
sanctioned a foul by
Braithwaite
in his previous jump with Balenziaga. The Uruguayan was also going to be the protagonist in the resumption, saving an empty shot from Berenguer under the sticks.
He could do nothing, however, to prevent Iñigo Martínez from overtaking Athletic shortly after with an unappealable header. The center-back went like a shell towards the near post to make good the corner thrown by
Muniain
, before the impotence of Eric García, horrible game that of the young center-back, pure bewilderment. Maybe he shouldn't have played after learning about his grandfather's death in Bilbao. A goal, in any case, that did justice to the greater local determination and punished the indolence culé, orphan already of the wild card of Messi to solve these wrongs.
In the absence, and forever, of the Barça demiurge, the one who came to the rescue was Memphis, by far the best Barça player of the match.
Faced with an Athletic that retreated excessively once its advantage was acquired, the Dutchman took advantage of a counterattack forged from a loss by Dani García to shoot Agirrezabala and establish a tie on the scoreboard with a quarter of an hour to go. final.
Athletic exhausted from running so much, Barça ended the match near the red-and-white goal, to the sound of a revitalized De Jong in the final stretch.
The red one to
Eric García
in the discount to stop the little one of the Williams closed a tie that Barça, seen as seen, can take for good.
Memphis through, of course.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
Know more
sports
First division
soccer
Athletic Bilbao
FC Barcelona
Soccer Messi's millionaire contract: how has Leo rewarded Barça?
PodcastThe penultimate war of Spanish football
LaLigaPiqué and the salary reduction: "I know that everyone will take the step shortly"
See links of interest
Last News
Translator
Tokyo Results
2021 business calendar
Home THE WORLD TODAY
Master investigative journalism
Stage 8, live: Santa Pola - La Manga del Mar Menor
Liverpool - Burnley
Eintracht Frankfurt - FC Augsburg
Hertha BSC - VfL Wolfsburg
Athletic Club - Barcelona