Thibaut Simon, Media365, published on Monday November 25, 2024 at 12:17 a.m.
Nico Williams' Athletic Bilbao defeated Real Sociedad (1-0) in the Basque derby. A good operation for the San Mamés players who join the Top 5.
Clearly, Athletic Bilbao is uncompromising at home when it comes to hosting the Basque rival of Sociedad. Bilbao has not lost in San Mamés against its opponent since 2021 and the series extended this Sunday during the 14th day. On a good run recently with a record of three wins and three draws in all competitions – Bilbao's last defeat dates back to October 6 in Girona (2-1) – Valverde's players hosted a Sociedad which is having a season in half -tint with a 10th place. But the last match won against Barça was enough to motivate Oyarzabal and his teammates.
Winning comeback for Sancet
If Real Sociedad had possession during this meeting, it was the locals who had the best chances from the start of the match. In a sold-out arena dominated by red and white, Bilbao proved dangerous with Djalo placed at the forefront. A strike blocked by the goalkeeper. A first warning for the opposing defense which would suffer over the minutes. On an action in the area well felt by Nico Williams, the European champion managed to cross from the left for Sancet at the far post. The Spaniard jumped higher than his defender to place an unstoppable header (26th, 1-0). After an injury and a month of starvation in front of the cages, Sancet found the net again to the delight of his supporters. While Bilbao had the opportunity to double the lead after returning from the locker room, Real Sociedad pushed to equalize. Zubimendi is too short to tackle in the area, while Oyarzabal sees his recovery from a corner miss the goal. Vigilant, Agirrezabala blocks opposing attempts to maintain his invincibility. After three consecutive draws in the league, Bilbao moved forward and did the right thing by taking fifth place in La Liga. For its part, Sociedad, which remained on two victories, saw its series come to an end. The two teams now have an appointment with the Europa League in a few days.
