On 13 January, one of the matches of the 20th round of the Spanish football championship took place. Athletic (Bilbao) and Real S-dad (San Sebastian) met.
Spanish Championship, 20th round
Athletic (Bilbao) - Real S -dad (San Sebastian) - 2:1 ( 2:0)
Goals: Berenguer (30), Berenguer (42) - M. Oyarzabal (87).
Warnings: Barrenechea (61), Mikel Merino (90), Robin Le Normand (90+2), U. Oyarzabal (87). Gomez (90+3), Elustondo (90+3)
Athletic hosted Real Sociedad in an exciting La Liga match at the San Mames Barria Stadium. The game ended 2-1 in favour of Atletico, with both teams showing their determination and skill throughout the match. The first half got off to a shocking start as Atletico took the lead. In the 19th minute, Real Sociedad made their first substitution, replacing A. Odriosola with A. Elustondo in an attempt to score. Elustondo in an attempt to strengthen the defence. However, their efforts were not enough to stop Atletico's attack. In the 30th minute, Atletico's A. Berenguer scored a brilliant goal, giving his team a comfortable 2-0 lead. Berenguer continued to impress and in the 42nd minute, he increased his team's lead with another good goal. In the second half, Real Sociedad could no longer break through the Atletico defence and gain a foothold in the game. Real Sociedad showed a different light in the second half, fighting back strongly. In the 61st minute, Real Sociedad's A. Barreneccea received a yellow card, indicating their growing frustration.
In the 63rd minute, Real Sociedad made two crucial substitutions, releasing H. Magunazelaya Argoitia and A. Dadi Izaguirre. In the 70th minute, Athletic, realising the need for fresh energy, also made two substitutions, bringing on I. Ruiz de Galarreta and O. Sunset. Soon after, in the 74th minute, G. Guruseta was replaced by A. Villalibre, strengthening Athletic's attacking capabilities. In the 80th minute, Real Sociedad made two more substitutions, bringing on B. Mendes and C. Tierney. Athletic responded with substitutions of their own, respectively replacing A. Berenguer with I. Muniain and N. Williams with A. Ares. Ares in the 85th minute. At the end of the match, Real Sociedad had a glimmer of hope when M. Oyarzabal struck in the 87th minute, cutting the deficit to 2-1. However, it was too little too late for Real Sociedad as Athletic held the lead until the final whistle. The intensity of the match was reflected in the four yellow cards shown in the final minutes. M. Merino, R. Le Normand and A. Elustondo, as well as U. Gomez of Atletico, received warnings from the referee. Overall it was an exciting encounter between Atletico and Real Sociedad, with Atletico winning the game. Both sides showed their capabilities and fighting spirit, making it an interesting match for La Liga fans.
In the next round, the following matches await the rivals: Valencia vs Athletic, Celta vs Real S-Dad.
| Athletic | Real Sociedad | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Kicks to the goal | 1 |
| 9 | Kicks | 9 |
| 5 | Blocked shots | 3 |
| 8 | Penalty kicks | 6 |
| 1 | Penalty kicks | 3 |
| 15 | Offences | 18 |
| 5 | Corner | 5 |
| 2 | Offsides | 0 |
| 49% | Ball possession | 51% |
| 0 | Yellow cards | 2 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
| 0 | Keeper saves | 2 |
| 335 | Total assists | 353 |
| 228 | Accurate assists | 254 |
| 68% | Accuracy of passes | 72% |