Athletic adds a point at the end and thanks

Guruzeta arrived in time to avoid defeat at Zorrilla. The Athletic striker, who is good at this rival and this scenario, sealed the tie with a goal in an acrobatic stance with just one minute left before the final whistle. The locals had taken the lead around the 79th minute with a goal from Moro that left several lions portrayed.

Pezzolano’s extreme conservative bet almost paid off for Valladolid. The lions, with many important changes in their starting eleven, took the initiative of the game, but ran into a solid defensive opponent and their own impotence. The rojiblancos barely generated any danger against an opponent who stood up from the center kick with a defense of five, an average of four and a single forward.

All this against an Athletic team that accused, above all, the loss of Iñaki Williams. His brother, despite trying at all times, did not have his night. Nico Serrano, starter this time, neither. Neither Berenguer, nor Djaló. Coincidence or not, but the truth is that the team greatly appreciated the incorporations of Galarreta and Guruzeta. On the offensive level, more chances were created. The defense, however, was blown up in a poorly defended play that the albivioleta took advantage of to get ahead on the scoreboard.

With eleven minutes left plus added time, the lions, then yes, went crazy and surrounded a crowded local defense. The red and white insistence ended up paying off. Guruzeta did not miss his appointment with the goal in Zorrilla.

Six changes

Pezzolano introduced three new additions to his starting eleven and changed his playing system. The Uruguayan coach inserted Juma Bah in a defense of five and left Juric and Kike Pérez playing in the wide area of ​​the midfield with Moro and Anuar more open on the wing and Sylla as the sole forward. Valladolid thus tried to become stronger, especially at the level of containment.

Valverde moved his bench more after last Thursday’s European match in Bulgaria. The red and white coach made half a dozen changes to his lineup. De Marcos, Yeray and Adama came in at the back, Jauregizar in the midfield and Nico Serrano, with Iñaki Williams not on the list due to injury, and Unai Gómez appeared higher up with Nico Williams attached to the left wing and Berenguer as a striker.

The locals felt comfortable with their clear 5-4-1. Due to their effectiveness at the back, they also managed to double down in attack and force Agirrezabala to intervene, successfully, even on a couple of occasions before the 12th minute. A minute in which a general whistle sounded from the local fans shouting “Ronaldo go away now” .

The lions then had their best chance to open the scoring. Nico Williams, after a good drop from Berenguer, stood alone against Hein, but crossed the ball too much. A red card for Beñat Prados that the referee, after going to the VAR, left it yellow and a play by Moro on the edge of half-time was the highlight of this dull and hard-fought first half.

Valverde took advantage of the intermission to move the bench. Galarreta and Vesga thus entered for the cautioned Jauregizar and Prados in the double pivot and Djaló replaced Unai Gómez to act as center forward with Berenguer a few meters behind. Athletic took control of the match against an increasingly withdrawn Pucelano team.

The setting of the match barely changed as the minutes passed, so the changes continued. Guruzeta came in for a Berenguer who asked for a change. Iván Sánchez and Marcos André did the same for the local team. Djaló and Guruzeta had their chances to open the scoring, but it was Moro who took advantage of a collective error by the Bilbao defense to open the scoring.

The lions had just over ten minutes left to react. Valverde forced the situation by introducing Martón and, when everything pointed to defeat, Guruzeta took advantage of a ball tempered by Galarreta to tie the score. Lesser evil for a red and white team that was very close to bending the knee.