Athletic turns the page on the Basque derby by beating Almería

The local victory remained at three-zero but It could have been greater given the number of chances by Ernesto Valverde’s men, who forgave several chances with the 1-0 and, already in the second half, they were able to increase the score after Sancet’s third goal.

With this victory, Athletic, with 17 points, ensures that it reaches fifth place at the league break. In fact, tonight they sleep in Champions League positions, but they will lose a place on Sunday with Atlético de Madrid-Real Sociedad, since one of the two teams will surpass them in the table.

From the outset, Valverde chose to repeat the lineup from the derby against Real Sociedad, despite the clear defeat at the Reale Arena (3-0). Although with the entry of Sancet, sanctioned in that match, instead of Muniain.

Lasarte, for his part, moved the team more and entrusted the replacement of the Colombian Luis Suárez to the Malian Konéwho barely appeared in a clear first half for the local team, which took the lead already in the 10th minute.

It was in an action born from a robbery by Dani García on the edge of the rival area that was committed between Nico Williams and YurI, who crossed for Guruzeta to open the scoring in what is beginning to be his style, getting ahead of the defense in the vicinity of the small area. Fourth goal for the San Sebastián striker, who is equal in that aspect to Iñaki Williams, the other top scorer for the red and white team.

Athletic faced a clash in which they had already received two bad news, the last-minute loss of Raúl García due to gastroenteritis and Yeray’s change after suffering a strong blow to the lower back after a jump with Koné.

The clash slowed down in its first quarter, but accelerated entering the halfway point of the first half. From then on, Athletic did not stop creating chances in the visiting area. Although neither Sancet twice nor Herrera adjusted their shots well. Yuri did do it after a corner, but he ran into a great save from Maximiano.

The siege had begun with a play in which ‘Guru’ lacked decision in a good pass from Sancet and a header from Herrera’s penalty area after a corner that ended up hitting the far post.

For Almería, completely missing in attackthe best thing about the first half was that it ended without Athletic increasing their minimal advantage.

In fact, the first time that those in blue today dangerously approached the goal of international Unai Simón was already on the way back from the locker room, in a free hit from the local media line launched by Embarba which neither Melero narrowly missed entering the area nor Chumi at the far post.

A mirage like the two or three minutes of Indálic dominance that preceded that foul, since Athletic regained control and once again turned the field towards Maximiano with chances from Williams and Vivian, is well repelled by the Portuguese goalkeeper.

It was not the third but the fourth that was the charm. A play started and finished by Dani García, who scored his first goal with Athletic in his 182nd appearance with the Biscayan team. Dani leaned on Sancet, the Navarrese opened up De Marcos and the Alavés put a spectacular cross on the head of the Gipuzkoan, who reached the edge of the area with a faith that was unknown to him in this type of actions.

What seemed like a clear penalty on Nico that was not sanctioned angered the public against the referee, already in the middle of the party in the stands and the carousel of changes in which the final stretch of the crash became.

Although there was still time for the third goal to arrive, with which Sancet celebrated the call from Luis de la Fuente. Nico put Maximiano in trouble and The clearance by the Portuguese goalkeeper was finished off by the Navarrese midfielder.